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Exercises like push-ups, crunches, planks and Russian twists involve the hands, forearms, buttocks or the back touching the ground. But what if you don’t want to sit or lie down or use your hands to touch the ground or the padded mat, and still work on your abs? In that case, standing ab workout is what you need to do. You can stand and perform the exercises without sitting to strengthen your core. This is an effective no-floor workout option that can engage your core muscles, as well as improve stability and balance too.
The standing ab workout includes a set of exercises that are performed while standing and do not require sitting or lying down. “These exercises activate the core muscles, including the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, obliques, the lower back muscles, and also some muscles of the hips and glutes,” says fitness expert Aman Puri.
Core muscles play a key role in our movement. They help in stabilising the spine and pelvis, which is essential for walking, running, jumping and throwing, as per an analysis published in the International Journal of Public Health and Medical Research.
“In a standing position, the body works against gravity, which exercises the core muscles more,” says the expert. Exercises that target the core are effective in getting rid of muscular fatigue caused by prolonged sitting, as per research published in Scoping Review. Standing ab workout is also effective in building functional strength and improving body posture, which is important. After all, poor posture can cause back or neck pain and headaches, according to Harvard Health Publishing.
Here are a few exercises that can be easily performed and included in the standing ab workout:
This exercise should be part of the standing ab workout, as it reduces belly fat and targets the transverse abdominis muscles.
“This exercise helps tone the core muscles, burns calories, and improves the strength of the lower abdominal muscles,” says the expert.
Adding weight to your standing ab workout can make it more challenging.
“It is an effective exercise that strengthens the lower abdominal and core muscles,” says Puri.
It helps activate both upper and lower body muscles including the entire core.
It’s a variation of crunches that targets the upper abs and obliques area.
Dumbbell woodchop should be oart of the standing ab workout, as it targets the rotational core and oblique parts of the body.
This exercise involves both hand and leg movements and targets the upper ab and obliques area.
Take a PollTake a Poll“It is a simple, effective exercise that targets the core and abs, enhancing aerobic fitness and burning calories,” says Puri.
This exercise should be part of your standing ab workout, as it targets the oblique, core and hamstring muscles.
“This exercise is basically a standing leg raise with a crunch. It helps develop core strength by targeting the abdominal muscles,” says the expert.
Some people should avoid these exercises:
Standing ab workout, which targets the core ab muscles, can be a great option for those who cannot sit on the ground and perform floor exercises. These easy-to-do exercises can help engage core muscles, which helps improve stability and balance. However, people with health issues or injuri should check with their doctor before trying the standing ab workout.
Yes, the standing ab workout can be performed daily. You may also add variations or weights to your standing abs regime. Mixing standing abs exercise with weight training, resistance training or high-intensity workouts may engage multiple muscles along with strengthening the core as well as other muscles.
Yes, performing an intense 10-minute ab exercise can be especially beneficial for those who want to strengthen their core muscles. It is an easy-to-perform exercise that does not require any special equipment.
An effective standing abs workout may include exercises like standing knee to elbow, standing oblique crunch, bicycle crunch, rotational twists and squats to name a few. The key to getting the best results is consistency.
Being an isometric exercise, solely performing planks can’t give you abs. You need to include other core workout exercises like mountain climbers and leg raises, or include some cardio or weight training to get visible results.
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