I know it may sound a little weird to work your abs before you do the rest of your workout, but hear me out. I'm not saying you should never do abs during or after a workout, I actually recommend it! But, before you get started with your sprint intervals, strength training, or whatever it is you love to do, you've got to warm up your muscles.
Before starting your workout, activate your core. Why? Because your abs play an important role in how your body moves. Your abdominal muscles aren't just for looks. They support and stabilize your spine, are used every time you breathe, help with bowel movements, and allow you to perform functions like walking, picking objects up, and twisting.
The muscles that make up your core are the internal and external obliques, rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, erector spinae, and the multifidus. If you don't get those muscles ready for the load you place on your body, chances are you'll increase your risk of getting injured. For example, if you don't activate your core and glutes before you perform squats, your spine will more than likely take on the load, which may lead to a lower back injury. Not to mention the muscles that should be firing aren't.
To strengthen your abs and prevent getting injured, I recommend taking five to 10 minutes to get your ab muscles firing and ready to work. Ahead, you'll find a few of my favourite core-activating exercises. They aren't the most intense moves, but they will improve your stability and core strength, which is more important than how hard or how cool they look.
Select three to five exercises, and complete them before you start your workout. Check them out ahead.
Get on all fours, with your knees under your hips and your hands under your shoulders. Remember to keep abs engaged and keep your back flat.
Reach out with your right hand and extend your left leg out behind you.
Round your back and head to connect your right elbow with your left leg under your body. This completes one rep.
Complete two sets of 10 reps.
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2Side Plank
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Begin by lying on your left side. Bring your left elbow directly under your left shoulder. Engage your core, press your left elbow into the floor, and rise into side elbow plank.
Place your top foot in front of your bottom foot, or stagger your feet if your balance feels off.
If you feel discomfort in your bottom shoulder, place your right hand on your left shoulder and pull the left elbow down across the chest.
To make this more challenging, place your right hand on top of your left hip.
Hold for 10-15 seconds on each side. Repeat for a total of two rounds.
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3Dead Bug
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Lie on your back with a neutral spine and your hips and knees at right angles with your palms pressed into your thighs just above your knees.
Pull your abs to your spine, keeping your ribs and pelvis still as you lengthen your right arm and leg out until they are almost parallel to the floor. Keep your torso and spine completely stable as the arm and leg move.
Return to the starting position, and repeat on the left side to complete one rep.
Complete two sets of 10 reps.
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4Plank With Lateral Arm Reach
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Start in a plank position.
Keeping your torso stable, slowly reach your left arm out to your side. Brace through the abs by pulling your navel to your spine. Hold this position for five seconds. If you feel too unstable, try moving your right hand so it is under the centre of your chest rather than under your right shoulder.
Keeping your torso stable, bring your arm back to the plank position. Do not round your back or twist your spine.
Repeat this same motion on the other side, extending your right arm to your side. This counts as one rep.
Complete 10 reps.
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5Side Bridge
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Lie on your left side with your knee bent at a 90-degree angle and your elbow underneath your shoulder.
Push your hips forward, lifting your thighs off the ground. Rest your right hand on top of your right hip, and hold for 10 seconds.
Be sure to keep your knees, hips, and upper body aligned. If you experience discomfort in your shoulder, place your right hand over your left shoulder with your fingers spread apart, and pull your right elbow down across your chest.
Hold for 10-15 seconds on each side. Repeat for a total of two rounds.
With your palms flat, raise up off your knees onto your toes. Keep your hands directly below your shoulders.
Contract your abs to keep yourself up and prevent your bottom from sticking up. Remember to keep your belly button pulled in.
With your head and spine in line, keep your back flat — don't let it curve. Picture your body as a long, straight board.
With control, slowly tap your left knee to the ground without moving your hips. Lift your left knee back up, returning to the starting position. Repeat the same movement with the right leg. This completes one rep.
Lower the carriage of a cable machine so that it's about chest height, and attach a D-handle to the pulley. Adjust the weight so that it's at 10 pounds. If this is too heavy or too light, feel free to change the weight.
Standing with the left side of your body closest to the machine, grab the handle with both hands and take two or three steps out so that there's tension on the cable. Hold your hands at your sternum, and make sure that your body is square. If you feel like you're getting pulled to the left, this is an indicator that you should lighten the weight.
On an exhale, press the cable straight out in front of your body. Be sure not to rotate toward the machine. Hold for two seconds before returning to the starting position. This counts as one rep.
Complete two sets of 10 reps.
This exercise can also be done with a resistance band.
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8Elbow Plank
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Start face down on the floor resting on your forearms and knees.
Push off the floor, raising up off your knees onto your toes and resting mainly on your elbows.
Contract your abdominals to keep yourself up and prevent your booty from sticking up.
Keep your back flat — don't let it droop or you'll be defeating the purpose. Picture your body as a long straight board, or plank.
