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The best way to improve stability and balance is to incorporate flexibility core exercises into your workout routine. Sufficient core strength helps with every exercise considering almost all exercises require you to engage your core.
Flexibility core exercises usually work on specific parts of the muscle group but also have an impact on the others. However, there’s almost always a primary and a secondary muscle group.
7 Best Flexibility Core Exercises
Here are some flexibility core exercises you should consider incorporating into your workout routine:
1) Plank
The plank is one exercise that works on the entire core muscle. It focuses on the abdominal muscles along with the obliques. Additionally, it helps in strengthening your spine and improving your overall posture.
You can start with shoulder planks and move your way up to elbow planks, and then variations of the same.
2) Side plank
Side plank is a variation of the plank but it focuses quite a bit on the obliques. When you incorporate side planks into your workout routine, make sure that you have proper balance throughout.
If you loosen your core or don’t have steady footing, you could fall over. To maintain a better balance, raise your free arm and extend it upwards.
3) V-sits
V-sits are flexibility core exercises that work on your oblique muscles and help with strengthening your hips. In fact, if your hips are strong, you’ll be able to improve your flexibility as well.
Moreover, strong hips help with compound movements such as deadlifts and bent-over rows. You should incorporate it into your workout routine, but avoid doing it every day.
4) Push-ups
Undoubtedly, push-ups are a great bodyweight exercise that help with developing chest muscles and triceps and focus on strengthening the abdominal muscles. Ideally, you should keep your core engaged during push-ups. However, there can be times you’ll lose form because of fatigued muscles, but try avoiding doing too many reps in that posture.
5) Dead bug
The dead bug exercise helps with coordination, focus, and core strength. However, it may take some time for you to master the exercise. If you’re going to make this a part of your core routine, you shouldn’t try to go too fast. It’s best to understand exactly how the exercise works before moving up the pace.
6) Russian twist
Russian twists are another flexibility core exercise that works on the obliques. You can do this with or without weights. The most advanced variation of this workout is to have your heels slightly lifted off the floor while you do the twist. This engages the core muscles further and massively improves your balance and stability.
7) Woodchop
This is another flexibility core exercise that works on the obliques, but it improves flexibility as well. On top of that, this is one of the core exercises that work on your shoulders and lower body as well. If you incorporate this into your workout routine, it can be done as a superset or done as cable woodchops with other exercises such as seated twists, side bends, or even normal crunches.
There are several variations of the above flexibility core exercises that you can do to improve your flexibility and core strength. However, you have to master the basics first before moving to advanced variations. Reason being - when you start doing advanced movements, it puts additional pressure on your abdominal muscles. However, if your muscles aren’t prepared to take on that extra resistance, you can end up with muscle pulls and muscle cramps.
Keeping that aside, always warm-up before and cool-down after doing flexibility core exercises. It’s important to allow your core muscles to relax from the stress before you continue with other exercises or leave the gym.
Finally, hydration is of utmost importance during flexibility core routines. The more you hydrate yourself, the better it is for your muscles and their recovery process!
