People often think that planks are the best way to build core strength but they aren’t the only way.
Jenny White a Pilates teacher and the founder of The Kai Life, says there are other ways to train stability and control.
“There are a lot of reasons why someone can’t do a plank,” she says. “They could be a beginner who hasn’t built up their core strength yet they could be postpartum, or they could have an upper-body injury or lower-back sensitivity.”
You might like this man in a white t-shirt doing a bird dog exercise on a purple exercise mat. Behind him is a turquoise sofa and a green exercise ball.
A trainer says that these three alternatives to crunches can help you strengthen your core and protect your spine at the same time.
I’m a personal trainer so here are the five moves you should do instead of planks or sit-ups. I think that all beginners should start working on their deep core with a woman holding a dumbbell doing a single-leg exercise at home.
These are the three single-leg exercises I’ve been doing to get my core strength back after an injury.
Try the steps below If you do them regularly, they can help you build core strength just as well as a plank.
1. Bug that is dead
To do this, lie on your back with your knees bent and raised to 90°.
Put your arms up over your chest.
Use your core to gently push your lower back into the floor.
Slowly move one leg forward keeping it just above the floor Lower the other arm behind your head.
Stop lowering your leg just before your lower back lifts off the floor.
Go back to the beginning with control, and then do it again on the other side.
Keep going, switching sides with each rep.
White says, “Dead bug helps you build real core stability without having to hold your full body weight like you would in a plank.” “It teaches control before asking for load.”
2. Marching with a glute bridge
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Put your knees on the floor and lie on your back.
Push your feet into the floor and lift your hips until your body is straight from your shoulders to your knees.
While keeping your core tight lift one foot off the ground and bring your knee up to your chest.
Put your foot back on the floor, and then do the same thing on the other side.
Keep going, switching sides with each rep.
How it helps This move may seem like it’s just for your glutes but it also works your core and teaches you how to stay stable while not rotating.
3. Slide your heels back while lying on your back
Put your knees up and your feet flat on the floor while you lie on your back.
Use your core to keep your pelvis steady.
Gently slide one heel forward on the floor until your leg is almost straight.
Stop, then carefully slide it back in.
Do the same thing on the other side.
White says, “This movement strengthens the deep core, especially the transverse abdominis, without putting stress on your wrists, shoulders, or lower back.”
“You learn how to keep your spine stable, which is what a plank needs, but in a more comfortable position.”
