7 Easy Core Exercises for Beginners to Try at Home

The core muscles are the true foundation of strength for your entire body, which is vital in stabilizing the pelvis, spine, and even your extremities. Essentially, your abdominal muscles act as a bridge between your upper and lower body, ensuring smooth, stable, coordinated movement in everyday activities and athletic performance. Yes, having a six-pack is something we may all aspire to achieve, but looks aren’t everything. Whether walking, bending, lifting, or twisting, the core stabilizes nearly every motion. Strengthening these muscles improves posture and balance, reduces the risk of injuries, and enhances overall muscular strength to improve functional tasks all life long.

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In this article, we’ll guide you through beginner-friendly core exercises that can be done at home, at the gym, or in your hotel room while traveling—anywhere! We all need to focus on building a strong core, whether your goal is to tone your abdominal muscles, reduce back pain, or improve stability. Try these ab exercises and feel stronger and fitter, and get you closer to optimal health. 

Dead Bug

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The Dead Bug exercise is a great way to engage your deeper abdominal muscles - specifically your transversus abdominis - while maintaining a stable spine. This is ideal for building core strength without putting strain on your neck or back, making it a safe, low-impact option for those new to core workouts or hoping to address chronic back pain.¹ To perform the Dead Bug:

• Lie flat on your back on a comfortable surface like a yoga mat.
• Bring your legs to a tabletop position, with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your shins parallel to the floor. Extend your arms straight toward the ceiling to start.
• Slowly lower your right arm and left leg toward the floor while pressing your lower back into the mat. Then, bring your arm and leg back to the starting position, and repeat with the opposite arm and leg.

Try  10-12 reps per side for 2-3 sets, resting for 30-60 seconds between sets. It's important to maintain a neutral spine (don’t let your lower back arch) and engage your lower core muscles throughout the exercise.

Glute Bridge

The Glute Bridge strengthens your glutes, hamstrings, and core muscles and is typically a staple in any beginner's routine. This exercise improves hip stability, helps reduce lower back pain, and enhances posture by targeting muscles often weakened by prolonged sitting.² To perform the Glute Bridge:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and arms resting at your sides. Your feet should be hip-width apart and positioned directly underneath your knees.
• Press through your heels and engage your glutes as you lift your hips off the floor. This will create a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
• Hold the position at the top for 2 seconds, ensuring your core and glutes remain engaged and that you do not arch your lower back or lift your toes off the floor.
• Slowly lower your hips back to the ground in a controlled manner.

Aim for 15-20 repetitions for 2-3 sets, resting for 30-60 seconds between sets. For an extra challenge, you can perform this exercise with one leg lifted (single leg bridge) or place a small weight on your hips. 

Bird Dog

The Bird Dog is a slightly more challenging exercise that builds core stability, improves balance, and strengthens the lower back muscles. It is particularly beneficial for beginners, those with back pain, and women recovering postpartum, as it targets the deep stabilizing muscles of the core while promoting proper spinal alignment.³ To perform the Bird Dog:

• Begin on all fours in a tabletop position, with your wrists under your shoulders and knees under your hips. 
• Slowly extend your right arm forward and your left leg back, forming a straight line from your fingertips, down the spine, to your toes. Engage your lower abdominals to avoid arching your back or letting your hips tilt.
• Hold the position for 2 seconds, then return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side.

Complete 8-10 repetitions per side for 2-3 sets, resting for 30-60 seconds between sets. Remember to move slowly throughout the exercise, which will challenge your core to its full potential. 

Bear Plank With Knee Taps

The Bear Plank with Knee Taps is another challenging and dynamic core exercise that enhances stability, strengthens your entire core, and improves coordination. Unlike your typical plank, this variation activates the lower abs, quads, and hip flexors a bit more and will likely feel harder to perform. It’s still a good choice for beginners looking to progress their core workouts. To perform the Bear Plank with Knee Taps:

• Begin in a tabletop position with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips.
• Lift your knees about 1-2 inches off the ground, keeping your back flat and your core engaged. 
• While maintaining this position, lift your right hand and tap your left knee. Then, return the hand to the ground and repeat on the opposite side.
• Move slowly, and keep your hips steady throughout the exercise.

Perform 8-10 knee taps per side for 2-3 sets, resting for 30-60 seconds between sets. Once it feels easy, try lifting your arm and opposite leg off the ground like the bird dog exercise, or simply increase the number of repetitions and sets. 

Side Plank

The Side Plank specifically targets the oblique muscles (the muscles on the sides of your trunk) while also engaging the shoulders, outer hips, and other deep core muscles. It’s especially beneficial for improving balance, reducing back pain, and improving posture since the obliques also assist in deep breathing.⁴ To perform the Side Plank:

• Start by lying on your side with your legs straight and stacked on top of each other. Place your lower elbow directly under your shoulder to support your upper body.
• Engage your core and lift your hips off the ground, forming a straight line from your head to your feet. Avoid letting your hips drop or rotate forward.
• Hold the position for as long as you can while maintaining proper form. If you're a beginner, aim for 10-15 seconds per side and gradually increase your hold time as you build strength.

Complete 2-3 sets per side, resting for 30-60 seconds between sets. If this is too difficult, keep your bottom knee bent and in contact with the floor to provide a kickstand for stability. You can progress this exercise by increasing the amount of time you hold the position or attempting to lift your hips up and down while in a side plank position. Fun fact - the World Record for the greatest number of people holding a side plank simultaneously is 510 people! The World Record for the longest time holding a regular plank is 9 Hours, 38 Minutes, 47 Seconds by Josef Salek.⁵ 

Reverse Crunch

The Reverse Crunch is a unique lower ab workout that specifically targets the lower portion of the rectus abdominis (aka the six-pack muscles) and the hip flexors. This version of a crunch helps minimize the strain on your neck and spine while still keeping the focus on the core. To perform the Reverse Crunch:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your arms at your sides, palms facing down.
• Lift your legs so your knees are bent at 90 degrees and your shins are parallel to the floor like a reverse tabletop position.
• Engage your core and slowly curl your hips off the ground, bringing your knees toward your chest and shins towards the ceiling.
• Lower your hips back to the starting position without letting your feet touch the ground, keeping tension in your core.

Perform 10-15 repetitions for 2-3 sets, resting for 30-60 seconds between sets. To make the exercise more challenging, keep your legs straight throughout or slow down the movement for increased core activation. In fact, slow and controlled movement is always the way to go, as it ensures full muscle activation without using momentum to complete the motion.

Superman

Remember, your “core” includes more muscles than just the abdominals. The Superman Exercise targets the glutes and the muscles along the spine, ultimately improving overall posture and spinal stability. The Superman exercise helps create muscular balance by targeting the posterior chain. It is especially beneficial for those who experience lower back pain or spend long hours sitting, as it helps counteract poor posture and strengthen important stabilizing muscles.⁶ To perform the Superman exercise:

• Lie face down on a mat with your arms extended forward and legs straight behind you.
• Engage your abdominals and glutes as you lift your arms, chest, and legs off the ground simultaneously. Your body should form a slight curve, with only your stomach and hips touching the floor.
• Hold this position for 2-3 seconds while keeping your arms and legs fully extended, then slowly, with control, lower back to the starting position.

Start with 10-12 repetitions for 2-3 sets, resting for 30-60 seconds between sets. Hold the lifted position for 5-10 seconds or perform small pulsing movements to engage the lower back and core further to increase the difficulty of the superman exercise. 

The Bottom Line

Building core strength is critical for stabilizing the pelvis and spine, improving posture, and ensuring healthy movement from head to toe. By incorporating beginner-friendly exercises like planks, glute bridges, and reverse crunches into your routine, you can strengthen your abdominal muscles and reduce back pain—all from the comfort of home. Stay consistent with exercises 3 to 5 times a week, focus on proper form, and gradually increase intensity to see long-term improvements in core stability and strength.

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