7 Best Conditioning Exercises You Can Do to Strengthen Your Core

Everyone wants a strong core, and why wouldn’t they? Six-packs are awesome, but a strong core is a lot more than just a collection of strong muscles. The core musculature is one of the most important muscle groups in the body.

This musculature consists of the muscles of the abs, back and obliques. It's responsible for almost all movement and function. A weak core often leads to poor posture and back pains, and makes you more prone to injury.

To prevent injury and the wrong movements, it’s essential to strengthen and condition your core. That will not only mak it stronger but also condition the muscles to take on more load or repetitions.

Best Conditioning Exercises For Your Core

Let’s take a look at seven of the best exercises you can do to condition and strengthen your core:

1) Plank

Here's how it's done:

• Get onto the floor on all fours. Drop onto your elbows, and extend your legs out straight behind you.

Brace your core, and squeeze your glutes so your hips are in line with your shoulders and feet.

• Hold this pose for 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat for three to four sets.

2) Hollow Hold

Here's how it's done:

• Lay on the floor on your back with your legs and arms out straight in opposite directions. Brace your core, and lift your legs, shoulders and arms slightly off the floor.

• Hold this pose for 20-30 seconds. Repeat for three to four sets.

3) Sit-ups

They're done as follows:

• Lay on the floor on your back. Bend your legs, and point your knees to the ceiling. You may bring your hands to the sides of your head, and point your elbows outward.

• Lift your back up off the floor, and come into a sitting position while crunching your abs.

• Return to the starting position on the floor.

• Repeat for 10 to 15 reps.

4) Bicycle Crunches

Here's how they're done:

• Lay on the floor on your back. bring your hands to the sides of your head, and point your elbows outward. Straighten your legs out.

• Crunch your abs to bring your right leg and left arm up, meeting your knee to your elbow at the centre.

• Switch sides so that your left elbow and right knee meet next.

• Repeat for 10 to 15 reps on each side.

5) Dead Bugs

Here's how they're done:

• Lay on the floor on your back. Raise your arms out straight above your shoulders, and raise your legs so your knees are above your hips. Keep your head up.

• Drop your right arm up above you towards the floor. Simultaneously, drop your left leg down towards the floor.

• Bring both limbs back in before repeating the movement on your left arm and right leg.

• Repeat for 10 to 15 reps on each side.

6) Russian Twist

Here's how it's done:

• Sit on the floor, and bend your legs in front of you. Lean back slightly, and raise your feet off the floor to balance on your pelvic muscles. You may grasp your hands in front of your chest.

• Rotate your upper body to the left side while maintaining balance. Now rotate to the left side.

• Repeat for 10 to 15 reps on each side.

7) Side Plank Rotation

It's done as follows:

• Get onto the floor on your right side. Stack your feet one over the other, and prop yourself up on your right elbow.

• Raise your hips, and bring them in line with your shoulders and feet. You may raise your left arm out straight or place your hand on your hip.

• Drop your hips towards the floor, and raise them back up, keeping your abs engaged.

• Repeat for 10 to 15 reps on each side.

Takeaway

Core work doesn’t have to be so strenuous. In most cases, you don’t even need any weights or additional accessories or equipment to execute the exercises to ensure they’re working effectively.

Just grab a mat to lay down on, and you’re good to go. Don’t forget: diet and rest play a key role in ab health and maintenance. So eat right; take your days off, and keep pushing.