How to strengthen your core

When it comes to building muscle, improving your core muscle strength has benefits that extend beyond toned abs. Core strength exercises can also give you better balance, stability, and good posture, and prevent or treat back pain. Better still, they can be performed in the comfort of your home, and there are many to choose from and incorporate into your exercise routine.

What is core strength?

When people talk about core strength, most think about the abdominal muscles located in your stomach region. In fact, your core muscles include numerous muscles throughout your body including your trunk, chest, back, and glutes.

Your core strength is involved in almost every movement you make, whether your core muscles initiate a move, provide crucial stability, or transfer force to other parts of the body. Most of these muscles are located around your trunk, protecting and holding your internal organs in place.

The main core muscles

• Transverse abdominis – the deepest of the abdominal muscles located between your ribs and pelvis. It supports your torso, stabilising both your spine and pelvis which is needed for any movement of your limbs.

• Multifidus – located on either side of your spinal column providing it with stability.

• External obliques – one of the outermost abdominal muscles contributing to a wide range of essential functions, such as twisting and rotating your spine.

• Internal obliques – found on the sides of your abdomen and also involved in rotation and bending as well as reducing chest volume during exhalation.

• Erector spinae – formed of three muscles that extend up your spine, helping to straighten and rotate your back.

• Diaphragm – separates your abdomen from your chest and contracts when you inhale.

• Pelvic floor muscles – located across the bottom of your pelvis, these muscles stabilise your spine, aid lifting and straining, and support your bladder, bowel, and uterus.

• Rectus abdominis – a muscle that reaches across the anterior abdominal wall from your rib cage to your pubic bone, also commonly known as the abs. Supports movement in this region, tensing the abdomen wall, and flexing the spinal column.

• Minor core muscles – the lats (latissimus dorsi) muscle connects your arms to your vertebral column; the glutes (gluteal muscles) support your lower back, pelvic alignment, and propulsion during walking and running; the trap (trapezius) muscle helps to move your head, neck, arms, shoulders, and torso and support your spine.

Why is core strength important?

Your core muscles are crucial in most physical activities. Therefore, learning how to strengthen your core has benefits that extend far beyond achieving a particular aesthetic – such as creating ‘six-pack abs’.

Louise Richardson, physiotherapist, explains that building your core strength is essential for maintaining your posture, balance, and muscles, all of which provide you with the strength and mobility needed for daily life.

Josh Piercy, online director at Core Balance, also highlights how essential your core muscles are in everyday life.

“Although it can be easy to forget, the core enables you to perform many movements such as reaching for items on a higher shelf, bending to tie your laces, and carrying items,” he says.

Creating strong abdominal muscles through core strength training can also aid sporting performance by reducing your chance of muscle and joint injuries.

How do I strengthen my core?

If you are wondering how to strengthen your core, the good news is that it’s possible to do this from the comfort of your own home. Core strength training can also be performed without exercise equipment. For home workouts you may want to invest in an exercise mat as many exercises involve lying or sitting on the floor.

This said, choosing to incorporate weights can increase both difficulty and core strength. If you are a beginner, it’s important to do this gradually in order to avoid injury. As your core muscles become stronger, one way of doing this is to add equipment into your exercises.

“By holding a dumbbell while performing sit-ups, the difficulty will be increased and lead to better results,” advises Piercy. “Furthermore, a balance board can be used when performing plank holds, challenging your balance and requiring your abdominal muscles to contract further.”

Core strengthening exercises

There is a wide range of exercises that build core strength. It is recommended that you use a combination of exercises to achieve the best results.

The following are some of the most common core exercises you can do:

Sit-ups

What: one of the most commonly known core exercises, sit-ups involve lying face-up with your knees bent at a 90° angle and your feet on the floor. You engage your core by lifting your upper body off the ground towards your knees, holding for a moment, and slowly lowering back down.

Why: sit-ups mainly work your abdominals as well as your hip flexors, lower back, chest, and neck.

Crunches

What: for a standard crunch, start in the same position as a sit-up and then lift your shoulders and head off the floor, hold, and return.

Why: while this doesn’t engage as many core muscles as a sit-up, the intense muscle isolation can help to tone the upper abdominals, creating the six-pack ab effect.

Plank holds

What: to perform a plank hold, face the floor and then hold the trunk part of your body off the ground in a straight line, only touching the floor with your toes and your forearms. These should be positioned shoulder-width apart. Hold for 30-60 seconds, depending on difficulty level.

Why: plank holds enlist multiple core muscle groups at the same time, whilst also working your shoulders and arms.

Leg raises

What: a leg raise starts by lying face-up with your legs straight and together. Keeping them straight, lift your legs until your bottom raises off the floor, slowly lower them until they are hovering just above the floor, and hold for a moment.

Why: this exercise targets your lower abdominals and improves the strength and flexibility of your hips and lower back.

Russian twists

What: to perform a Russian twist, sit on the floor with your legs bent slightly at the knee and heels touching the ground. To engage your core, lean back slightly so that your torso and legs form a V-like shape, and then slowly twist your torso from side to side without moving your legs.

Why: engaging all the muscles in your core, the Russian twist is a total core-strengthening exercise that improves your balance, builds muscle in your mid-section, and increases spinal stability.

Pilates

What: Pilates is inspired by yoga, calisthenics, and ballet. According to Rebecca Convey, fitness expert and owner of Kinetic Pilates, it is a series of exercises designed to build strong, lean muscles and create length in the body.

Why: “Pilates helps to lift your core in and up, create a lifted spine and a long narrow waist,” she adds. “By using the correct muscles, you will not only stand taller with better posture, but your abdominals will become stronger.”

“Flexibility can be gained in the chest, shoulders, and spine, giving you more access to good posture and the ability to correctly activate your core.”

Weak core strength issues

How do you know if you have a weak core? Richardson says that you most likely have a weak core if you’re experiencing lower back pain, poor posture, shortness of breath, or an uneven balance.

“This is because these issues can impact your muscles and ability to retain a strong core,” she adds.

Balance and instability

Strong and flexible core muscles act as the scaffolding holding you together – the stronger they are, the better balance and stability you have. This is what allows you to move in any direction or to stand still without losing your balance. As such, core strength training is proven to improve core stability and this can reduce your likelihood of falls and injuries during both sports activities and everyday tasks.

Poor posture

If your core muscles are weak, you are also more likely to slouch and develop poor posture. In turn, this can lead to your core muscles becoming less efficient as they need more energy to move, resulting in a cycle that’s hard to break.

As well as causing some of your muscles to work harder while others become weak, poor posture can lead to back pain, make you more susceptible to muscle injuries, and increase wear and tear on your spine and joints.

Back pain

Poor balance and posture are a common cause of lower back pain, an issue that can be hugely debilitating. Experts have found that core stability can impact load balance within the spine, pelvis, and kinetic chain – the connected series of joints that create and enable movement.¹

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1. Chang WD, Lin HY, Lai PT; Core strength training for patients with chronic low back pain. J Phys Ther Sci. 2015 Mar;27(3):619-22. doi: 10.1589/jpts.27.619. Epub 2015 Mar 31.

About the authorView full bio

Amberley Davis

Senior writer

Amberley is a senior writer with Patient and has written extensively on a range of health and wellbeing topics.

About the reviewerView full bio

Dr Colin Tidy, MRCGP

General Practitioner, Medical Author

MBBS, MRCGP, MRCP (Paediatrics), DCH

Dr Colin Tidy is an NHS Doctor, based in Oxfordshire.

Article history

The information on this page is peer reviewed by qualified clinicians.

Article also available inEnglish,German,Spanish,French,Italian,Portuguese,Hindi,Hebrew,Arabic, andSwedish.

• Next review due: 15 Sept 2029

• 15 Sept 2026 | Latest version

  Lynn Stephen
  Dr Colin Tidy, MRCGP

• 18 Jan 2022 | Originally published

  Amberley Davis

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the community do not represent medical advice. For any health concerns, consult your GP or healthcare provider.

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