Five moves that only take five minutes of your day. The results? Stronger, more toned abs.
The below workout includes a range of exercises that will get your heart rate up and also challenge your core muscles in a transverse plane focus, allowing you to strengthen your obliques (the muscles that help you twist and move your hips left to right). All you need is a yoga mat and enough space to glide from side to side.
Learn the exercises that you can do at home (or anywhere, tbh) for a toned and defined waist, below.
The Routine:
Knee Drive to Knee Twist Over
Lateral Slide with Rotation
Cross-Body Mountain Climbers
Squat Jump and Standing Twist
Jumping Jack and Standing Twist
*perform each move for one minute
The Move: Knee Drive to Knee Twist Over
How to: Keep your weight in the front leg while you drive your back knee upward toward your chest. Take this leg back to start. The next knee drive, use your core to rotate your chest toward your driving knee by adding a twist while you knee drive. Continue on this leg for 30 seconds and switch to the other side for the last 30 seconds.
The Move: Lateral Slide with Rotation
How to: With your chest and hips facing forward, slide to one side and touch the ground with your opposite hand as you extend your alternate hand upward toward the ceiling. Return back to slide position and perform the same slide and twist on the other side. Control your core here as you get your heart rate up with the lateral slides.
The Move: Cross-Body Mountain Climbers
How to: This move is a true core control move. Keep your plank position while bringing alternating knees toward the opposite side of your chest. The rotation of your core and the intensity of the mountain climbers require some serious focus, but this move is so beneficial! Slow it down if you need to by slowing your steps to a march and twist.
The Move: Squat Jump and Standing Twist
How to: Start this move by performing a squat jump or a regular squat. As you stand, bring your knee up toward your opposite elbow and twist. Repeat, alternating sides for the entire minute, and focus on exhaling as you twist.
The Move: Jumping Jack and Standing Twist
How to: The last move will challenge your cardio and your core to bring the workout to a close. Perform one jumping jack and one standing twist as you close out this workout, focusing on your core control and jumping jack speed. To slow this down, tap one leg at a time out to the side and then perform the twist with that leg.
A former Division 1 high jumper and record holder at West Virginia University, Sydney is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Personal Trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist in Charlotte, North Carolina. Sydney and her fiancé Dustin created the Royal Change digital media company and post a new, completely free workout every day. They have a quickly growing audience with over 53,000,000 views since they started their YouTube channel. Royal Change’s mission is to always provide high-quality fitness to everyone, everywhere, at any time.
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