Perhaps you had joined the gym to have perfect abs & muscles, but even after vigorous workouts, you fail to have those. Well to get abs & all you really need time & lot of workouts. But you’re tired doing these workouts then take a break & go for some of the under mentioned exercises which help you to strengthen your core muscles. Besides having abs & toned muscles you too need to have strong back & abdominal muscles. If you don’t have strong abdominal & back muscles, then it becomes difficult to even to pick up a toddler or the shopping bags. Even if you manage to pick them up, then you’re sure to have an acute back pain or get cramps in your abdomen as your core muscles aren’t strong enough.
So here are some simple exercises that will help you to have a strong core!
- Start with Kneeling exercise – Kneel down first, then out your hands below your shoulder & your legs should be directly beneath your hips. Try to tighten the core muscles & gradually lift your right hand & extend it forward. Then go with your left leg, lift it & extended it in the backward direction, but keep your toes pointed towards down. Hold onto this position for minimum 10 seconds & your arm & leg down. Repeat the whole process 3 times for both the sides.
- Lift up your Hip – One of the simplest exercises that one can do to strengthen one’s core is the ‘hip lifts’. This exercise strengthens your back as well as core muscles. Start by lying on your back, bend your legs & keep your arms straight on either side of you. Then slowly rotate your pelvis, keep your core muscles tightened & push your lower back on the floor. Now hold on to this position & lift up your midsection with the help of your leg & arms, shoulders to balance. Stay in this elevated position for at least 10 seconds & then return back to your normal lying position.
- Abdominal crunches using Chair – The stronger your core muscles are lesser the chances of having back pain. So go for this chair crunches to strengthen your abdominal muscles. Lie on the ground but keep the lower part of your legs on a chair. Then keep the fingers behind your head & hold up your chin towards the ceiling. Tighten your muscles so that they can help you to elevate your shoulders off the ground. Then slowly go back to your former position, repeat this set for 10 times. This will help your abdominal muscles to crunch & core muscles to tighten.
- Try climbing rope – This exercise is much like climbing a rope in real life. Sit with your legs extended & keep your feet in a V position. Then stiffen your core muscles & roll spine into a C posture. Next your arms are to be lifted & twist it a little as if climbing a rope. Continue this exercise for 10 seconds.
- Hold onto the planks – Plank holds are an excellent exercise to strengthen your core muscles. Lie to your face facing the floor, tuck in your toes & put your elbows on either side of the body. You’ve to keep your abdominal muscles tight & try to raise your body off the ground & hold on to this elevated position for 10 seconds. Then slowly start to go back to your former position & repeat this exercise 5 times more.
- Side Crunch – Put your left hand & left leg on the ground & stretch your right arm up & extend out your right leg so that it forms a straight line. Then gradually pull in your right knee inwards & your right elbow towards the knee. Pull back to the former position & repeat this exercise for 10 times.
All you need to do is to follow these exercises daily only then you can get strong core muscles, hence it was rightly said “no pain no gain”.