If there’s one area of our body that's more of an afterthought, it’s often our core. After all, the thought of doing a load of sit-ups or holding the plank may not make you scream with excitement (quite the opposite in fact). This standing ab workout, however, will not only spice up your bland, boring floor exercises, but it'll only take you 10 minutes. Just grab a single dumbbell, kettlebell, or a heavy water bottle.
A strong core not only helps our athletic performance, improve our balance and everyday movements, but studies have even shown it's one of the best defences against back pain. According to the Premier Spine Institute: "Your core muscles are vital for a healthy back because they’re solely responsible for spinal stability. These muscles must carry the weight of your body and step up to the challenge when the load increases." Spending time on our core is therefore vital to our overall wellbeing and health, and Harvard Health says we should do this two to three times a week.
