5 Intense Abs Exercises for Women

The benefits of having strong abs go beyond enhancing appearance and esthetics. A well-built and strong core can work wonders for your overall posture, prevent unwanted future injuries, and ease back pain while offering the required stability and balance to carry on with everyday movements and activities.

The best abs exercises for women are the ones that target each muscle group in the core, which includes external abdominal obliques, rectus abdominis, internal abdominal obliques, and transverse abdominis. Luckily, there are several such exercises that target all these muscles and, as a result, help improve core strength and offer toned and sculpted abs.

If you are not sure how to start your abs routine, don’t worry! We’ve compiled a list of some of the most effective and intense abs exercises you can practice daily to feel the burn throughout your core.

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5 intense abs exercises for women

Check out these great exercises that are sure to target your abdominal muscles and strengthen your core.

1. Incline plank

To do this exercise:

• Start by standing near a sturdy chair, bench or countertop as an incline.
• Position both your hands on the platform and step back by extending your legs behind.
• Keep your legs at shoulder width and balance your body on the balls of your feet.
• Position your wrists under your shoulders and keep your arms absolutely straight with your body forming a straight line at an incline from your heels to your shoulders.
• Now pull up on your knee and push your heels towards the floor behind you.
• Do an isometric hold maintaining this position, and stay there for a few seconds.

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2. Bent knee leg lowers

To do this exercise:

• Lie down on the floor with your lower back pressed onto the mat and your core muscles engaged, and keep your legs at a 90-degree bend.
• Now lower both your feet towards the floor, and make sure your knees are still bent at 90 degrees.
• As soon as your toes reach the floor, pull up your body through your lower abs and return to the starting position.

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3. Side plank

To do this exercise:

• Lie down on your right side on the floor with your right forearm on the ground, both legs extended straight and your elbows under your shoulders.
• Make sure your body is in a straight line from your feet to head with your feet stacked on top of one another.
• Maintaining this position and engaging your core muscles, lift your hips off the floor while extending your left arm over your head.
• To make it more challenging, try to lift your left leg straight up.
• Hold for a few seconds, then release.

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4. Boat pose

To do this effective pose:

• Start by sitting on the ground with your legs bent at a 90-degree angle.
• Slightly lean back, keeping a long spine and your shoulders back and down.
• Position your hands behind your knees and slowly pull your feet off the floor so that your bent legs are now extended straight in the front.
• Lift the tips of your toes above your eye level or simply stay in the pose with your knees bent.
• Move your arms out towards your feet or keep your hands on the back of your thighs or the floor beside you.
• Try to hold the stretch for as long as you can.

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5. Oblique V-up crunch

To do this exercise:

• Lie on your left side with your arm extended flat on the ground in front of you and your right hand behind your head.
• Keep your legs extended and both your feet stacked on top of one another.
• Engaging your core muscles and keeping your shoulders and neck off the floor, lift both your legs and allow your right elbow and legs to meet at the top.
• Lower back down to the initial position and repeat the exercise by switching sides.

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Takeaway

The aforementioned abs exercises for women will definitely help strengthen entire core muscles and improve overall posture and strength.

You can create circuits or simply pick a few of the exercises from the list to mix and match and make your workout more challenging and interesting. When performing these workouts, make sure to keep your form accurate to prevent pain and injuries.