Core workouts have long been seen simply as a way to change the appearance of your stomach. But there are many more benefits to strengthening your abdominals and the other muscles in the core that have nothing to do with aesthetics.
The core muscles are located around the torso and play a crucial role in the way we move in everyday life, as well as during exercise.
Pilates is a fantastic way to strengthen the core and Madeleine Abeid, one of my favorite online Pilates instructors, has just launched a one-week core program.
It's suitable for beginners and a great way to start developing core strength, but it's also a fantastic challenge for anyone who has been doing Pilates or core workouts for a while and is looking for a way to become more consistent.
Madeleine Abeid's first workout from her one-week abs plan
The first routine is 15 minutes long, whereas the second workout only takes five minutes. Follow along with Abeid's video and make sure to listen to her helpful cues to nail your form.
The benefits of abs challenges
Setting yourself a clear exercise goal can help you stay motivated and this one-week challenge is an achievable goal that will help you set healthy movement habits.
One of the great things about core workouts is that they tend to be short, so in a challenge like this one, even though you're only working out for a maximum of 15 minutes a day, you should feel that little bit stronger at the end of the plan.
You can also repeat this plan, doing it for a few weeks, or once a month whenever you want to challenge yourself. This way, you'll see serious progress in your core strength.
