This one stretch changed the game for me when I was recovering from a tough abs workout

A woman performs a cobra stretch on a yoga mat. Her legs are straight with thighs facing the floor, while her torso is held upright by her straightened arms. Behind her we see a whitewashed brick wall.

Abs workouts are grueling, but they’re necessary if you want to maintain your mobility as you age. While many people think that abs refers to the six-pack muscles, they also include deeper core muscles of the torso, such as the obliques, which run down your flanks.

I’ve added some new moves to my regular workout routine to make sure I’m targeting all of these muscles effectively. My new and improved workout now involves weighted crunches, legs-up weighted crunches, and weighted Russian twists.