10 Minute Core Workouts

These 10 minute Core workouts are perfect for when you are short on time but want to fit in some sort of exercise to start (or finish) your day! Each of these workouts can be done in just 10 minutes and I promise, you’ll feel the burn.

Let’s talk about your core.

While most people think “6 pack abs”, really your core is made up of a number of major muscle groups, including your “abs”, your obliques, your pelvic floor muscles, glutes, and more. Your core’s role: to support your spine in all activities that you partake in. Lifting, pivoting, reaching…almost every movement you make requires some engagement from your core.

Now, let’s talk about your abs (which is why most people opened this post)! The reason that you may not see the abs you want isn’t necessarily that you don’t have them…it’s that visible abs require a low body fat percentage…one that few of us find easy to reach!

That being said, developing a strong core and abs enhances your ability to get consistently stronger, improves daily function (squatting down to pick something up, moving something heavy from the left to the right, reaching for an object above your head), and looks good to boot.

Getting it right

The key to ANY ab exercise…is doing to right. Have you ever done 25 stability ball crunches only to feel like you could have done 25 more, if not for your aching hip flexors? We’ve all been there.

The reason you feel your ab exercise in your hips is because you’re most likely using your hip flexors to do your crunches instead of your ab muscles. Your hip flexors bend you at your waist. Your ab muscles are responsible from contracting the muscles between your hips and pelvic bones, essentially “bending” you (more like rounding out), at the lower back.

When performing ab exercises, this is a KEY factor in targeting the right muscles for the job.

Here’s how to engage your abs the right way:

• Keep your neck neutral. Your neck should follow the same shape as your upper-mid back. When doing crunches, don’t tuck your chin too far forward and don’t let your neck drop your head back.
• Don’t lead with your head. Again, keep your neck neutral and think about leading with your ribs instead.
• Without “sucking in”, pull your belly button in towards your spine to brace your core.
• Exhale as you crunch.

4, 10 minute Core Workouts you can do from home

You can do any of these workouts from the comfort of your own home. Some require dumbbells, but if you don’t have dumbbells you can substitute household objects like gallon jugs of water or a cast iron pan!

My favorite thing about body weight workouts is that they force you to focus on your muscles doing the work, instead of a weight applying force to your body. You really get the chance to practice engagement!

If you’re looking for a way to spice up your average “3 sets of 10 reps” workout, the following scheme is fun and challenging.

Personally, any workout that doesn’t leave me feeling completely spent left something out. Push yourself to complete these 30 seconds bouts of work at a close-to-max-exertion level, and I promise you’ll feel it!

For those days when your body needs a rest but mentally, you need to move: