After a summer of mostly outdoor workouts, it's that time of year when many of us choose to exercise indoors again - and, if you're anything like us, preferably at home. While it's becoming ever easier to do pretty much any and all activities from the comfort of our living rooms, there's one workout that suits staying home above all others: resistance band workouts. Which is where this guide to the best resistance band core workouts comes in.
There's no doubt that a strong, sculpted mid-section has enduring appeal, and while we don't endorse working out for purely aesthetic reasons, there are legitimate real-life benefits to incorporating core exercises in your fitness rotation, from enhanced balance, to better posture, to improved athletic performance.
In this vein, we're always on the hunt for simple, cost-effective and accessible tweaks to up the ante on our exercise routines, because who doesn't want to get stronger, faster? When it comes to adding spice to moves, you can't go far wrong with resistance band workouts. As our articles on the best resistance band leg workouts and resistance band arm workouts explain, resistance bands are cost-affective, easy to use, and great for beginners and seasoned gym-goers alike, in other words, the perfect home equipment addition. Never used one before? Don't worry - our expert-led guides to the best resistance band leg workouts for beginners and resistance band arm workouts for beginners will come in handy.
Don't let the weather dampen your workout motivation: grab yourself a resistance band and keep scrolling for ten expert-backed resistance band core moves to try at home today. And trust us, once you've tried resistance band exercises, you won't be able to resist them (sorry about that).
Resistance band core workouts are easy and effective - your guide
What is a resistance band?
Let's start at the beginning. "A resistance band is a fitness accessory typically made from latex, although fabric alternatives have gained popularity recently," explains personal trainer and founder of TrueFit Group Training, Mandy Wong Outram. "The bands come in different lengths of varying resistance; short loops are often used for glute workouts, long open-ended bands are frequently used in yoga and pilates, and long loops are ideal for strength training and stretching."
Think a longer, (much) thicker elastic band, and you'll be on the right lines.
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Do resistance bands work your core?
The beauty of resistance bands is that they can be added into pretty much any workout to up the intensity in a controlled way, plus they can be an amazing core-strengthening tool, when used correctly.
"Resistance bands can absolutely be used to enhance a core exercise," advises Wong Outram. "They are excellent for incorporating anti-rotational exercises in particular into your workout routine. These exercises focus on improving stability and strength in the core as you resist spinal rotation, which can be difficult to perform without a cable machine (usually found in a gym).
"By securing a resistance band to an anchor point, you can simulate the function of a cable machine. As the band pulls you towards the anchor, your core muscles engage to counteract this force and maintain stability," they go on.
Essentially, the constant tension of the band forces your muscles to work harder, increasing activation and enhancing the move.
Can you build core muscle with resistance bands?
Now, this is a tricky question to answer. As mentioned above, here at MC UK, we're generally not keen on working out solely for appearance, preferring to focus on the many, many other benefits of building strength instead (bone density, longevity, mental health - the list goes on).
It's important to remember that it's impossible to spot-train areas of the body, regardless of how tempting that may sound. Altering your physical make-up requires consistent, long-term lifestyle changes including a healthy, balanced diet and plenty of rest. That said, adding resistance band core workouts into this will yield results, if you're committed and consistent with your habits.
"By regularly engaging in resistance band workouts that also incorporate progressive overload, you can improve the strength of your abdominal muscles and core," says Wong Outram. "This means that when an exercise starts to feel too easy, you should increase the intensity by selecting a band with a higher resistance level."
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What are the main benefits of a resistance band core workout?
Adding a resistance band to your next core workout will confer loads of benefits. Let's dig into them in turn.
1. They're low-impact
Using a resistance band to work your core puts less stress on your joints than classic crunches or sit-ups, being neck-friendly, in particular.
2. They're cost-effective and portable
"Resistance bands are affordable, require minimal space, are easy to take on holidays, and introduce a wide range of exercises into your routine without the need for costly equipment or a gym membership," notes Wong Outram. "They're also versatile, so you're getting plenty of bang for your buck."
3. They enhance a mind-body connection
"Resistance bands encourage proprioception (your awareness of your body in space) by providing external force and feedback that helps you engage your muscles and align your body," says Wong Outram. "This promotes a stronger mind-body connection."
4. They encourage full core activation
"In order to train your core, you must work all planes of movement," explains coach and founder of The Foundry Gym, Ben Gotting. "Your body broadly moves across three planes of movement, a frontal plane (front motions) a sagittal plane (sideways movement) and in a transverse plane (twisting).
Your core is designed to resist rotational force through all of these planes of movement, so anytime you train without support (eg when using a band), you're activating and strengthening across all the planes of motion, leading to greater mobility and flexibility."
5. They enhance functional fitness
A strong core has real-life benefits, aside from the aesthetic or strength-based gains. "Core workouts help build functional fitness and lower your risk of injury," agrees personal trainer and founder of Move With Emma, Emma McCaffrey. "Not only this, they're great for posture and overall stability, which will also prevent injuries and keep your body working at it's optimum level."
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5 best PT-approved resistance band core workouts
1. 5-minute resistance band ab workout
What? A five minute full core workout with a mini loop resistance band.
Why? As you'll have seen above, using a mini loop band really intensifies the ab burn of moves. The great thing about this workout, according to McCaffrey, is it's so short you won't risk overtraining.
How long? A short but spicy five minutes.
2. 10-minute abs and core resistance band workout
What? A 10-minute abs and core blast.
Why? As mentioned above, training your core involves working not only the superficial abs, but also your transverse and deep abdominals too. This spicy 10 minute routine will hit all planes of movement for a full core burn.
How long? Only ten minutes, but it might feel longer! (Don't blame us.)
3. 15-minute mini-band ab workout
What? A 15-minute ab circuit using a mini band.
Why? Using a mini band really ups the intensity of your moves, according to Wong Outram. While longer bands are more generally associated with ab work, a mini band will add even more resistance and burn.
How long? 15 minutes.
4. 25-minute Pilates abs with resistance band
What? A 25 minute abs challenge, Pilates-style.
Why? It's no secret that Pilates is amazing for core strength, and this workout utilises Pilates moves and a resistance band to really fire up those abs.
How long? A satisfying 25 minute blaster.
5. 30-minute resistance band abs and glute combo workout
What? A 30-minute abs and glutes challenge with YouTube workout royalty, Caroline Girvan.
Why? Think glute work isn't core-focussed? Think again: you'll be activating those deep abdominals as you stabilise while working your glutes.
How long? Half an hour and you're all set.
Shop MC UK's go-to workout kit now:
Pop these calibrated resistance bands into your basket and you'll be covered whether you're just starting out or you're a core workout pro. In five different strengths to mimic different weights, the bands will add intensity to any workout - whether home or away. Plus, they're great for stretching out your muscles post-sweat session, too.
If you buy nothing else, you'll need a decent mat for your core workouts. This one from lululemon is endlessly on our wish list - not only is it super grippy for stability, but the design is dreamy, and it's the perfect balance of lightweight but cuhsion-y, too.
Channel your cosy-girl autumn aesthetic in these cocoa brown Adanola leggings. Supportive, compressive and squat proof, they'll see you from core class to coffee with mates in style.
How often should we be doing core workouts?
"A general guideline is to work your core two to three times per week," advises McCaffrey. "This allows for adequate recovery while still providing consistent stimulation for growth and strength. Overtraining can lead to fatigue, injury, and plateaus (reaching a state of little or no change after a period of activity or progress).
That's because, while some muscle soreness is expected after exercise, persistent soreness, an inability to perform the exercise properly, discomfort and disruption while sleeping can all be a sign of overtraining or an underlying injury. Noticed anything like this? "It may be time to reduce the intensity or frequency of your core workouts," the expert continues. "It's also worth bearing in mind that your core is involved in many daily activities and exercises and incorporating core-engaging exercises into your overall workout routine is often enough without dedicated core sessions."
