Standing core workouts are a productive way to spruce up your training routine. They’re total time-savers that engage your upper and lower body at the same time and can be performed anywhere. Plus, you’ll strengthen your abs while boosting stability, balance and posture. And the best part? These moves are gentle on the joints.“Standing core exercises can be equally effective (and just as challenging) as more traditional ab exercises on the floor due to their accessibility, engagement of postural muscles and ability to add resistance/equipment to manage intensity in a varietal way,” explains Michelle Ditto, CPT, VP of Training and Technique for Pure Barre.While you can incorporate progressive overload into floor moves like sit-ups and planks by adding additional reps, time or resistance, the accessibility and ease of standing core work can’t be beat.“[This form of training] allows those with limitations to strengthen their full core musculature more effectively,” Ditto tells Parade. “Even for those without specific limitations, it is important to train your core in a variety of ways to functionally enhance mobility (i.e. your range of motion and how you move without pain/strain).”Your core isn’t just about your abs—it also includes the stabilizers of your torso and the muscles around your spine. Ditto thinks of it as “a 360° network of muscles.”She adds, “In this way, standing core exercises allow you to target the full range of your core in ways that you will most likely use in everyday life to do things as complex as competitive sport, to as simple as walking pain-free.”Related: The ‘Forgotten’ Core Muscles Women Over 40 Need To Strengthen—and How To Do It
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Standing moves that test your balance, like knee drives from a lunge or single-arm rows that activate your back muscles, train the stabilizers in ways that floor work won’t accomplish as effectively.
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Why Standing Core Exercises May Be a Better Choice for Those 40+
“For many individuals, standing is something we take for granted; in that way, adding fitness into something you already naturally do can be a simple way to infuse healthy habits into your daily routines,” Ditto says. “In addition, all of the exercises [I provided] can be adapted to fit your needs. Whether that means doing all of the exercises with body weight rather than a dumbbell, or swapping weights for a resistance band, or doing each movement holding onto a countertop, you still reap the benefits of the work.”
Consistency is crucial. The more you perform standing core workouts, the more beneficial they’ll be. Ditto recommends doing the following routine twice a week and tracking how you feel.
Related: This Is the Best Workout Move for Core Strength, No Crunches Required
This Standing Core Workout Could Be Your Best Ab Hack Yet
“[Good mornings are a] great warm-up movement that targets your full core musculature,” Ditto says.
Begin standing tall, feet hip-distance apart.Place your hands behind your head.Soften the knees, activate your core and maintain a neutral spine.Hinge at your hips, pressing your tailbone back.Then, stand up tall.Perform this exercise for 30 seconds.2. Knee-Ups
Begin standing tall, feet hip-distance apart.Stack your palms in front of you.Alternate between lifting one knee up toward your hands in a marching motion.Repeat for 20 seconds.Then, reach your arms overhead and add a pull-down, pulling the elbows toward each side of your body.Repeat for 20 seconds.Lastly, add a side-to-side rotation, bringing your elbow toward the opposite knee as you “march.”Repeat for 20 seconds.
Related: Ditch the Crunches and Planks—Here Are 15 Super-Toning Ab Workouts You Can Do Standing Up
Hold a dumbbell in your right hand.Assume a runner’s lunge, stepping back with your right foot and keeping the left foot forward.Hinge at the waist and rest your left forearm on your thigh.Extend your right arm toward the floor.Keep your spine neutral and elongated and brace your core.Row the weight up toward your right hip, holding at the top for a moment.Use control to lower.Repeat for 30 seconds, then immediately transition to 30 seconds of rows on the left side.Rest for 30 seconds.Repeat for 3 sets.
4. Squats
“[Squats support] full-body core engagement—specifically the posture muscles, quadriceps, and glutes, [while strengthening] the pelvic floor,” Ditto explains.
Stand tall with your feet just outside hip-width, toes pointing forward.Reach both arms in front of you.Bend at the knees and hips to slowly lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor.Hold for 2 seconds at the bottom.Press through your heels to rise.Repeat for 30 seconds.Rest for 10 seconds.Complete 3 to 5 sets in total.Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent.Activate your core.Reach both arms down, palms facing your thighs. Alternatively, hold a dumbbell in each hand.Hinge at the hips, pressing your tailbone behind you. Lower the weights down your legs until you reach mid-shin.Use control to rise.Repeat for 45 seconds.Rest for 15 seconds.Repeat for 3 to 5 sets in total.
Related: Here’s How Often You Actually Have To Work Out Your Abs To See Results—and the Best Moves To Try
6. Curtsy Lunge to Knee Drive
Stand tall, feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent.Hold a dumbbell in your left hand at your side.Step back and across to the left diagonal to assume a curtsy lunge, making sure your hips face forward.As you rise back up, drive your knee up.Repeat for 30 seconds moving your right leg, then immediately switch to the other side for 30 seconds.Rest for 30 seconds.Repeat for 3 sets.
The lunge with twist promotes lower-body stability, balanced and rotational movement.
Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart.Hold a heavy dumbbell at your chest.Step your right foot back into a lunge.Twist to the left side.Return to the center and rise back up.Repeat for 30 seconds with your right leg moving, then move to your left leg for 30 seconds.Rest for 30 seconds.Repeat for 3 sets.8. Dumbbell Swing
Stand tall, feet just outside hip-width.Hold the center of a heavy dumbbell with both hands.Activate your core and soften the knees.Hinge at the hips as you swing the weight between your thighs.Squeeze your core and buttocks to quickly stand up, thrusting the dumbbell forward.Repeat for 1 minute.
The bottom line? Standing core work is a beneficial addition to any fitness routine—especially for those 40+. It will help you sculpt strong, toned abs while improving balance and stability—which are essential as you age.
Related: Here's What's Really Happening When Your Hips 'Click' During Workouts
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