An Easy 10-Minute Dancer-Inspired Standing Core Workout That Will Make You Active Without Being Hard On Your Body

Core work can be uncomfortable, not just because it burns so good in the ab area, but because in most floor-based exercises, the neck and back get pulled along for the ride and can be easily tweaked. For this reason, some of us may prefer to opt for standing abs, and in the latest episode of Good Moves, The Ness founder Colette Dong offers an option for those adverse to floor work: A 10-minute dance-inspired standing core workout with nary a traditional crunch insight.

Image by Anna Shvets via Pexels

“I love standing abs because if you’re someone that usually feels a little bit of tension in the head, neck, and shoulders, or in the hips while you’re doing core work lying on the ground, this is an excellent alternative to strengthen the core while working on relaxing [the] upper body and releasing in those hips,” says Dong.

Unlike other common floor-based exercises like crunches and planks, this workout depends on subtle rib cage maneuvers. Dong gets involved in your obliques with standing crunches, which imitate floor crunches without the accompanying neck and back strain.

Image by Klaus Nielsen via Pexels

All the moves are executed in the spirit of a dance routine, so there’s an easy and playful flow that makes this standing core workout feel less like work than it actually is. After, you’ll be sore in all the right places, which is more than most of us can say for our typical floor-based ab routines. Press play to strengthen your core while protecting your easy-to-injure neck and back—all while having *actual* fun (promise!).

Featured Image by Li Sun via Pexels