exercises ideas

Lie flat on the ground with your hips flexed at 90 degree and knees bent. Pull your knees towards your head to lift your buttocks off the ground. Done correctly, this variation recruits more of the lower abs and obliques than the regular crunch.

Set up in the same position as the regular crunch. As you lift your upper body up from the floor, keep your hands behind your head and reach one of your elbows towards the opposite knee.

Start lying on your back with arms at your sides and palms facing down. With your legs extended, lift the heels a few inches off the ground. Engage your core, and make small up and down kicks with the legs.

Lie down on the ground with your knees bent and hands behind your head. Lift your legs off the ground and make a pedalling motion like youre riding a bicycle!. With your hands behind your head, bring your opposing elbow to meet each leg as it comes toward you.

Lie face down on the ground with your arms outstretched in front of you. Simultaneously lift your arms, legs and torso off the ground. Focus on squeezing your glutes throughout.

The Bird Dog is a great core exercise that emphasises lower back strength and balance. Start on all fours with your back flat. Raise one arm forward while simultaneously lifting your opposite leg until both limbs are in line with your torso. Slowly bring your leg and arm back to the starting position and then repeat with the opposite limbs.

As recommended by Tony Gentilcore, the dead bug involves lying flat on your back with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your arms pointing towards the ceiling. Flatten your back against the floor and exhale as you lower one leg and the opposing arm until they are just hovering above the ground. Pause, return to the starting position, and then repeat with the opposing limbs.

Lie face down with your forearms on the floor and hands clasped. Extend the legs behind you and rise up on to your toes. Keeping the back straight, tighten your core, quads and glutes and hold the position for 30 60 seconds or as long as you can.

Make the conventional plank more difficult by finding a raised surface such as a chair or low table you dont want the surface to be too high.

On your side, with just one foot and one forearm touching the ground, raise your body up and keep your body in a straight line.