I grew up doing my mom\u2019s Jane Fonda workout videos with my sister in our living room.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re in your late forties, you\u2019ll remember the crunch was king back then\u2014the more, the better!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n When I wasn\u2019t doing the video in my favorite neon yellow Lycra, I\u2019d try to do 100 crunches a day. They never got easier\u2014or more enjoyable.<\/p>\n You may like<\/p>\n Now, as a personal trainer, I know there are other ways to train your core that don\u2019t involve a sit-up.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re not a fan of crunches like me, you\u2019ll love this standing abs workout by certified trainer Britany Williams<\/a>.<\/p>\n She recommends moving your core work from the mat to standing because it \u201cmimics real-life movements.\u201d<\/p>\n How to do Williams\u2019s core workout<\/p>\n You\u2019ll need a set of dumbbells for this workout.<\/p>\n The moves:<\/p>\n Overhead march: 3 x 8 reps per sideWindmill: 3 x 10 reps per sideOblique twist to toe touch: 3 x 10 twists per sideStanding ab chop: 3 x 10 reps per sideSumo oblique crunch: 3 x 8 reps per sideWhy should you do standing core workouts?<\/p>\n Standing core workouts offer variety, encouraging you to exercise in multiple planes of motion rather than staying still in an isometric hold or simply crunching up and down.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not that standing abs exercises are inherently \u2018better\u2019 than abs exercises on the ground, but often when we think of the core we think of crunches and planks\u2026 and when in your everyday life do you find yourself in a plank? You don\u2019t!\u201d says Williams.<\/p>\n \u201cStanding abs exercises translate to real-life movements that your core needs to be strong for\u2014like carrying kids on our hips, rotating, reaching, and balancing on one leg [when we put on our shoes].\u201d<\/p>\n Williams also says she finds it easier to progress her core exercises when using weights. When a move starts to feel easy, she simply increases the load.<\/p>\n Plus, standing core workouts are more accessible if you struggle with getting up and down from the ground or if you have wrist pain with moves like the plank.<\/p>\n \u201cI find the types of exercises you can do on your back or in a plank or side plank position to be redundant and, after years of training, frankly sometimes boring! Adding in standing abs work makes it challenging and fun, which is always a win,\u201d says Williams.<\/p>\n \u201cCore strength supports posture, protects our spine, enhances balance, breath, pregnancy, and can reduce fall risks as we age.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s so much more than just visible abs\u2014core strength is about having a strong center to support everyday life.\u201d<\/p>\n For more advice on how to get a stronger core, Williams has created a free five hacks for better abs guide<\/a>.<\/p>\n