8 Best Core Exercises for Women

If you ask girls what part of their body they would like to change, 9 of 10 will say they want to get six pack abs and a flat sexy belly.

But, unfortunately getting six pack abs isn’t easy.

And you can’t do it overnight.

Also, 90 % of girls think that doing sit-ups is enough to achieve that goal.

Here’s the kicker:

Sit-ups aren’t the most important to get six pack abs.

The most important thing is to strengthen your core.

That’s why today I will show you the best core exercises for women.

But first things first.

What are the core muscles?

The muscles that are important for a strong body and good posture are called core muscles.

The core muscles include the back and abdomen muscles.

Check the image:

If your core muscles aren’t strong enough, it will be harder for you to do certain exercises, plus you might get injured easily. (1)

As I said, sit-ups aren’t the only exercise that activates your back and abdomen muscles.

There are complex exercises that require holding your body in a certain position that activates a big number of muscles.

And to do these exercises you need the back and abdomen muscles i.e. the core muscles to stabilize your body.

So, how to strengthen your core?

Simple.

By doing the best core strengthening exercises for women.

8 best core exercises for women

1. V-Ups

This is the best exercise for your upper and lower belly.

How to perform this exercise?

Lie down on your back with arms and legs extended.

Lift your upper body and your legs at the same time and try to touch your feet with your hands.

Exhale when you go up, and inhale when you go back to the starting position.

2. Reverse Crunch

A very effective exercise for your lower belly.

How to perform this exercise?

Lie down with your back pressed against the floor, extend your arms and put them close to your body.

Start lifting one leg until you form a 90-degree angle.

Your abs should contract and you should lift your pelvis when you lift your legs.

And make sure you don’t swing your legs while lifting them up.

This is a very demanding exercise and if you do it right you probably won’t be able to do it many times.

Exhale when you lift your pelvis, inhale when you go back.

3. V-Tuck

This is the best exercise for your upper and lower belly.

How to do this exercise?

Lie down on your back with arms and legs extended.

Try to lift your head and your torso.

At the same time, bend your legs at the knee and lift them coming to a sitting position.

From there, you don’t go back to the starting position, but you keep your torso up and you pull in and press out your legs.

Exhale when you pull in, inhale when you press out.

4. Superman exercise

One of the best exercises for your lower back muscles.

How to perform this exercise?

Lie down on your belly, extend your arms in front of you and put your hands on the floor.

Start lifting your torso and your head facing down.

Exhale when you go up, inhale when you go back.

If you have any lower back pain or similar, bend your legs at the knee.

5. Bird Dog exercise

This is an exercise for your core and your glutes.

Lean on one knee and the opposite hand.

Lift the other leg and arm, making sure your body is stable.

Hold the position for 2 seconds, then go back and repeat with the other leg and arm.

6. Bridge exercise

This is an exercise for your core, glutes, and hamstrings.

Lie down on your back, bend your legs at the knee and put your feet on the floor.

You can put your arms next to your body (it’s good for beginners since it gives you stability) or you can put them on your chest.

Contract your abs and glutes and lift your pelvis until you form a straight line from your knees to your chest.

Hold the position for 2 secs and then go back to the starting position.

Exhale when you go up, inhale when you go back to the starting position.

7. Single Leg Bridge

A similar exercise to the previous one.

Lie down on your back, bend your legs, put your feet on the floor.

You can put your arms next to your body (it’s good for beginners since it gives you stability) or you can put them on your chest.

Lift one leg, so that you lean on only one leg.

Contract your abs and glutes and lift your pelvis until you form a straight line from your knee to your chest.

Hold the position for 2 secs and then go back to the starting position.

Exhale when you go up, inhale when you go back to the starting position.

8. Plank

The plank activates your core muscles, shoulders, and leg muscles.

When you do the plank pay attention to your hips and your lower back.

Your hips shouldn’t go down and your back needs to be straight.

It’s important to loosen your shoulder blades to activate the core muscles as much as possible.

You can read more about plank here.

So, what’s the bottom line?

The core muscles aren’t important only for the six-pack abs.

Strong core muscles have an important role in many physical activities from sports to everyday activities.

The core muscles give stability to your body and they help you do whatever you need to without losing balance.

Also, strong core muscles prevent back pain, which is very common nowadays taking into consideration the number of hours people spend sitting at work or commuting.

READ MORE: BEST FITNESS SUPPLEMENTS FOR WOMEN!