Let me kill one myth first: you will not see your abs from doing ab exercises. That part is decided in the kitchen. And a thousand crunches a day will not burn the belly fat sitting on top of them.
So why train the core? Because a strong core is what keeps your spine stable when you lift a suitcase, turn around quickly, carry shopping bags up the stairs or catch yourself when you slip. That is what matters at 80. Six-pack or not.
Most of the exercises on this page train the core the way it actually works: resisting movement. Holding your body still while your arms and legs move. Crunches are there too, but they are the side dish, not the meal.
How to use this page: pick 3 or 4 exercises, one from each group, and add them to the end of your workout 2–3 times a week. 10 minutes is enough if you do them properly.
Anti-extension: don't let your back arch
Wall plank Beginner
Forearms on the wall, walk the feet back until your body is a straight, slanted line. Squeeze your glutes and pull your belly in. Too easy? Then move to the floor.
Hold: 20–40 seconds.
Plank: get the hips right Watch this
This video shows the plank with a wrong hip position and then the right one. What you want: head, shoulders, hips and heels in one straight line. Not a tent, not a hammock. Squeeze your backside and your stomach at the same time and you are there.
Hold: 20–60 seconds. If you can hold it for over a minute with good form, stop holding longer and pick a harder exercise instead.
Dead bug Beginner
On your back, arms up, knees bent at 90 degrees. Press your lower back into the floor. Slowly lower the opposite arm and leg, breathe out, come back. The rule: the lower back never leaves the floor.
Reps: 6–10 per side, slow.
Hollow body tuck Intermediate
The easier version of the hollow hold. Lower back glued to the floor, shoulders slightly lifted, knees pulled in. Hold it there and breathe.
Hold: 15–30 seconds.
Hollow hold Hard
The gymnast's core exercise. Legs and arms extended, body shaped like a shallow banana, lower back pressed into the floor. If your back lifts, bend your knees or raise your legs higher.
Hold: 15–30 seconds. Harder than it looks.
Anti-rotation and stability
Bird dog Beginner
On all fours, reach one arm forward and the opposite leg back until both are level with your body. Don't let the hips tilt. Imagine a glass of water on your lower back.
Reps: 8–10 per side, with a 2-second pause at the end.
High plank shoulder tap Intermediate
Push-up position, feet a bit wider. Tap one shoulder with the opposite hand without your hips swinging. Slow beats fast here.
Reps: 10–16 taps in total.
Bear plank Intermediate
On all fours, knees lifted just a few centimetres off the floor, back flat. Hold. It looks easy for about ten seconds.
Hold: 20–40 seconds.
Side core
Side plank Intermediate
Elbow under the shoulder, body in a straight line, hips up. Do it from the knees first if the full version makes your hips sag.
Hold: 20–40 seconds per side.
Flexion: the crunch family
Crunch Beginner
Small movement: curl your shoulders off the floor by shortening the space between ribs and hips. Don't yank your neck. Hands lightly at the temples or across the chest.
Reps: 12–20.
Bicycle crunch Intermediate
Elbow towards the opposite knee while the other leg straightens. Slow and controlled. Flapping your elbows around fast just exercises your elbows.
Reps: 10–15 per side.
Lying leg raise Hard
On your back, hands under your hips if needed. Lower straight legs only as far as you can keep your lower back on the floor, then lift them back up. If your back arches, bend the knees.
Reps: 8–15.
A 10-minute core finisher
Do this circuit twice, with 30 seconds of rest between exercises:
| Exercise | Time or reps |
|---|---|
| Dead bug | 8 per side |
| Plank (or wall plank) | 30–45 s |
| Bird dog | 8 per side |
| Side plank | 20–30 s per side |
| Crunch | 15 |
Done. No 30-day ab challenge needed.