5 Standing Workout Moves For Toned Abs

Sometimes when you do crunches on the floor, it will feel like you’re giving your back and neck a workout instead since it would feel a little sore from rolling on the floor repetitively. It could be painful too for some of you if you’re doing it on uncomfortable surfaces and if you’re not sure on how to position your neck. So if you’re wondering if the only way to engage your core is through floor exercises, rest easy because you can work on your core while standing up too!

Doing core workouts while standing will involve more muscle groups too since it will test your balance. It can improve your posture and you could be burning more calories too [1].

Try adding a few of these moves to your routine or try all 5 of these to make it a full-on abs workout after some cardio/strength session.

1. Leaning Lifting Crunch

1. Stand straight with your feet together, soften your knees and slightly bend it. Raise your arms overhead and press your palms together.
2. Then lean your torso to the right, so you’ll be stretching your left side. With a tight core, tilt to the left as you extend your left leg to the side, with toes pointed and lifting as high as you can without falling.
3. Go for 20 reps and repeat with the other leg.

2. Kick Crunch

1. Standing tall with your feet slightly apart and your abs tight, take a deep breath. As you exhale, kick your right leg up and try to touch your toes with your left hand to perform a crunch.
2. Then with control lower your right leg and repeat on the other side.

3. Knee-to-Elbows/ Standing Bicycle

1. Stand with your feet together, hands clasped behind your head (without any pressure pushing it forward) and engage your core.
2. As you shift your body weight to the left leg, bend your right knee, and draw it up as high as you can as you try to touch or go outside of your left elbow to your right knee.
3. Slowly lower your leg back down and then repeat again on the same side.

4. Torso Rotations

1. Standing with feet more than hip-width apart with your arms extended in front of you, put your palms together (a).
2. Keep your hips square and your core tight as you rotate your upper body to the right so your arms are aligned with your right shoulder (b). That completes 1 rep.
3. Then twist to the left side, making sure your arms have not dropped or is raised higher than shoulder level.
4. Continue to alternated sides as fast as you can for 30 to 40 reps.

5. Squat Sweep

1. With your feet shoulder-width apart, hold a dumbbell or some form of weight with both hands.
2. Keep your shoulders and hips square and knees pointing forward as you lower into a squat. Hold the weighted object down by your right hip.(A)
3. Stand up from your squat position and sweep the weight diagonally across your body until it’s above your left shoulder. (B) Slowly return to start position.
4. Try to do 15 reps before you switch sides and repeat.

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Do you prefer to exercise your abs on the floor or standing? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below or on our Facebook page!