While having a strong core is crucial for being able to do things like lifting heavy weights, it’s also important for everyday living.
A strong core helps protect your spine, improves balance and stability (vital for preventing falls), supports pelvic floor health, improves posture, and reduces overall risk of injury. Indeed, one systematic review and meta-analysis found that core training significantly improved older adults’ balance performance.
What’s more, another recent study of more than 5,000 women aged 63-99 found that greater muscular strength was associated with a significantly lower risk of death. The researchers concluded that ‘strength and promoting its maintenance are instrumental for optimal ageing’.
The problem with core workouts is that a lot of them are… unappealing, for want of a better word. And while crunches and sit-ups work for some people, many would prefer to avoid them like the plague.
If you’re somebody who isn’t a fan of these specific core exercises and would rather stack core work onto something you’re already doing, such as walking, midlife and senior fitness trainer Cindy Sullivan recently shared an ab and walking workout on Instagram that she says her clients love.
‘No mat. No floor. No crunches. Just your walk, done a little more intentionally,’ she wrote in the caption of the post.
‘Do this 3-4 times a week and you’ll feel it – a stronger, steadier core that supports your posture and balance, and shows up in how you move through everyday life.’
The workout
Start by walking for 10 minutes to warm up.
Do each exercise for 60 seconds each, followed by a five minute walk. Repeat for three rounds; after the third round, increase the walking time to 10 minutes.
The moves
- Standing elbow-to-knee crunches
- Opposite elbow to opposite knee
- Knee drives
- Wood choppers
Finish the workout with a five-minute cool-down walk.
How to do the movesOpposite elbow to opposite knee
- Stand tall with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and arms above your head in a V shape.
- Bracing your core, drive your right knee up and across your body and your left elbow down to meet it at around hip height.
- Repeat the same movement with the opposite arm and leg.
Standing elbow-to-knee crunches
- Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms above your head parallel to each other.
- Bracing your core, drive your right knee up to hip height as you bring both arms down towards it as if you’re grabbing something and pulling it down.
- Repeat this movement, alternating between each leg.
Knee drives
- Stand in a split stance with one foot slightly in front of the other, knees softly bent and your weight evenly distributed, arms up and out in front of you.
- Brace your core, keep your chest lifted and look straight ahead.
- Push through your front foot as you drive your back knee up towards hip height, balancing on the standing leg. At the same time, bring both arms down in a controlled motion.
- Lower your foot back into the starting split stance, return your arms to the starting position and repeat the movement before switching sides.
Wood choppers
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, hands clasped above one shoulder.
- Engage your core. Keep a slight bend in the knees, tall posture and a braced midsection.
- Rotate your torso and hips together as you drive your clasped hands diagonally across your body, finishing near your opposite hip.
- Slowly return to the start under control.
- Complete all reps on one side before switching.
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Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Health and Fitness Writer for Women’s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis. She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner’s World and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity. A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She’s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.