A standing oblique crunch doesn’t sound like it would do much; after all, it involves standing. Shouldn’t core-based exercises be done on the floor? In a word, no! Although standing ab workouts might not be the first thing that springs to mind when you think of ab training (after all, we’re so familiar with the classic crunches and sit-ups which all involve lying on the floor), they come with a number of benefits.
Firstly, because you’re standing, rather than resting your body on the floor, balance plays a much bigger role. Good balance is essential for pretty much every form of movement, so it makes sense that we’d want to focus on it. Plus, I find that the core muscles are activated far more during standing ab workouts, in essence making the exercises more effective. I do find that standing ab exercises are less stressful on the back for those who have lower back pain. If you find that you get shoulder or wrist pain from exercises such as the plank, standing ab exercises can offer a gentler alternative.
