Strengthen Every Muscle in Your Core With These 12 Trainer-Approved Moves

Building a strong, functional core is no small feat. It can be easy to neglect, but our core is responsible for so much of our daily functioning, playing a role in posture, stability, and even lower back pain , according to the Mayo Clinic . Whether you're looking to strength train, trying to relieve pain , or just want to be comfortable doing your day-to-day responsibilities, ab-strengthening exercises are the perfect place to start (and they don't even have to take that long).

To get you started, we spoke to certified trainers about the best core-strengthening exercises you can incorporate into your routine — no equipment necessary. "Strengthening a weak core is something that can be massively helpful," says Richard Wilcock , MS, CSCS, personal trainer and owner of Flagship Fitness in the UK. "It can help relieve back pain, help prevent slips and falls, and make other exercises easier.



" This is another reason why core-strengthening exercises are so fundamentally important. A stronger core is good for so much more than just strength training. Richard Wilcock , MS, CSCS, is a personal trainer and the owner of Flagship Fitness in the UK.

Sean Alexander is an ACE-certified personal trainer and the CEO of Simple Approach. Christine King , DPT, PRPC, is a certified pelvic rehabilitation practitioner and the manager of women's outpatient clinics for Hoag's Pelvic Health Program. What Are Core Muscles? Your core encapsulates more muscles than you might expect.

"Your core is composed of many muscles in the abdomen, hips, back, butt, and legs," said Sean Alexander, ACE-certified personal trainer and the CEO of Simple Approach, in a previous interview with PS . "It's necessary to work all of these muscles when training your core." Here's a quick overview of your main core muscles and what they do: Your core muscles play a big role in supporting and stabilizing your spine and pelvis.

When your core muscles begin to weaken, it can lead to various types of injuries, back pain, and pelvis misalignment issues. You'll be able to tell if your core is weak if you're struggling with core stability moves such as planks, glutes bridges, and dead bugs. Ahead, check out core-strengthening exercises that trainers recommend, learn why they work, and get step-by-step instructions for how to complete each one.

Add these beginner-friendly core-strength exercises into your workouts to start building strength and stability in your abs, glutes, obliques, and beyond. The 8 Best Weighted Ab Exercises For a Stronger Core Bird Dog "This is a great whole-body movement that works against gravity to challenge our stability by adding moving limbs," says certified trainer Cara Bonney , ACE, NSCA, lead instructor and master trainer for Club Pilates in McKinney, TX. "It's a great low-impact core move that helps improve stability without putting too much pressure on the joints," adds NASM-certified trainer Jaime McFaden, a master trainer for Aaptiv .

How to Strengthen Your Core With Bird Dog: Glute Bridge The glute bridge "helps to stabilize the core while incorporating the lower half of the body and strengthening the pelvic floor," says Shaina McGregor , ACE-certified group fitness instructor and certified life coach. "In the bridge position, the core muscles (rectus abdominis, transverse, and obliques) activate to maintain stability. It also helps to reduce back pain and improve posture.

" How to Strengthen Your Core With Glute Bridges: Clamshell The clamshell strengthens your hip muscles and pelvic floor while (bonus!) balancing the strength of inner and outer thighs, Bonney says. "This move is especially good for runners, as a lot of our ankle and knee alignment comes from the pelvis and hips being stable," she says. How to Strengthen Your Core With Clamshells: Dead Bug Crunch "This slow-paced exercise allows for core engagement throughout," says NASM-certified trainer Keisha Villarson .

"It also exercises the entire core, activates the transverse abdominis, and builds spine stability." How to Strengthen Your Core With Dead Bug Crunches: Pilates 100s Pilates 100s challenge every part of your core, says Daniela Mazal, a certified Pilates teacher at Old School Pilates . Lifting your head engages your abs, pumping your arms engages your back muscles, and your pelvic floor and glutes are working to support your legs.

"The focus on breath throughout this exercise engages the diaphragm, which stabilizes the core from the inside out, especially on the deep exhalations," Mazal adds. How to Strengthen Your Core With Pilates 100s: Elbow Plank A classic elbow plank is a good choice because "it contracts every portion of your core," says celebrity fitness trainer DeBlair Tate . "This exercise also helps improve your balance, which directly reflects your core strength.

" You can even use this move to test your core strength level; just see how long you can hold the plank while maintaining your form, Tate suggests. How to Strengthen Your Core With Elbow Planks: Side Plank "This is one of my favorite moves, as you're targeting your obliques while not putting additional pressure on your spine by crunching," says NASM-certified personal trainer Holly Roser . How to Strengthen Your Core With Side Planks: A Strength and Conditioning Coach Puts the Stakt Adjustable Weights to the Test Bear Hold The bear hold "provides all the benefits of a traditional plank pose, with limited to no pressure on the lower back," says Nicole Romano Uribarri , barre, yoga, and HIIT fitness instructor.

This core-strengthening move specifically targets your transverse abdominals, which "act as stabilizers and support the lower back." How to Strengthen Your Core With Bear Holds: V-Up This simple-but-challenging core exercise works "your entire rectus abdominis, core muscles from your pubic bone and ending at the sternum," says Villarson. To modify this move, bend your knees.

How to Strengthen Your Core With V-Ups: High-to-Low Woodchop The high-to-low woodchop is a rotational movement, so it engages your core by forcing it to resist the side-to-side motion, says Rachel MacPherson , ACE-certified personal trainer. "This helps strengthen and stiffen the side body and core." Keep this move steady and controlled, and avoid using momentum to swing the weight.

How to Strengthen Your Core With High-to-Low Woodchops: Bent-Leg Toe Tap "This is such a great exercise because toe taps primarily activate the transverse and rectus abdominis," McGregor says. "This exercise doesn't place too much pressure on the low back, and helps to strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor, which is also part of your core muscles." You can modify this move by lowering one foot at a time.

How to Strengthen Your Core With Bent-Leg Toe Taps: Seated Knee Tuck The seated knee tuck "engages and strengthens the innermost core muscle, the transverse abdominus (TVA), that wraps around your torso," says NASM-certified personal trainer Chris Lee of Hau.fit. You can either hold the tucked position for a tough isometric move, or perform reps as explained below.

How to Strengthen Your Core With Seated Knee Tucks: Maggie Ryan was an assistant editor at PS. A longtime runner and athlete, Maggie has nearly four years of experience covering topics in the wellness space, specializing in fitness, sports, nutrition, and mental health..