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Looking for the best ab exercises for women? We don’t blame you! Our core is important. We use it for just about every movement: walking, sitting, bending, standing, reaching, lifting, and more.
It’s not all about getting definition or even a six pack, either. Healthy, strong abs don’t have to be visible, and it’s much harder for women to achieve those flat, firm abs that everybody seems to crave anyway.
Don’t let us put you off, though; it is achievable for most if you get your diet on track and choose specific core exercises for women.
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Keep reading for a round-up of 15 of the best core exercises for women and how to do them. But first, we think it’s a good idea to explain the types of muscles that they target. From your obliques to your lower abdomen muscles, the exercises below cover the following important ab areas:
From crunches to planks, there are a wide range of indoor exercises you can do to work your core muscles. But if you’re a fitness newbie or looking for some workout inspiration, you’re in the right place. Here are 15 of the best all-round effective abdominal exercises for women, as well as exercises that target certain areas.
Works the: Obliques.
Great for: Protecting the spine, strengthening the core without stressing the back, and improving balance.
Works the: Whole abdominal area and hip flexors
Great for: Building overall core strength and reinforcing the spine.
Works the: Rectus abdominis (those pesky six-pack muscles), transverse abdominis and external obliques.
Great for: Strengthening your abs without putting strain on your neck and back compared to regular crunches.
Works the: Rectus abdominis, obliques + triceps and deltoids (arms and shoulders).
Great for: Working out multiple abdominals and your upper body simultaneously.
Works the: Rectus abdominis and obliques.
Great for: Ab definition and overall strength.
Works the: Obliques, hip flexors, glutes, and shoulders.
Great for: Challenging your core stability and stretching.
Works the: Lower abdominal muscles, hip flexors, lower back, and quad muscles.
Great for: Increasing your heart rate while toning your ab muscles.
Works the: Rectus abdominis, external obliques, internal obliques, and hip flexors.
Great for: Improving total core strength and trunk balance.
Works the: Rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis and external obliques.
Great for: Strengthening your abs without putting strain on your neck and back compared to regular crunches.
Works the: Rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, obliques and hip flexors.
Great for: Total ab workout with extra lower body training.
Works the: Rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and legs.
Great for: Toning up the upper and lower abs, as well as strengthening the legs.
Works the: Transverse abdominis and rectus abdominis.
Great for: Total core stability and spine support.
Works the: Transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, internal obliques, external obliques, quads, chest, upper back muscles.
Great for: A healthy posture, balance, coordination, and a strong core.
Works the: Transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, obliques, and quads.
Great for: Aligning and strengthening the spine and ab muscles.
Works the: Rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, legs, back, and shoulders.
Great for: Advancing your ab training – don’t try if you are a complete beginner to ab workouts.
So, there you have it – 15 of the best stomach exercises for women to help you on your way to a strong, healthy core.
Try all the exercises to see which ones you like best, or even better, do them all on rotation.
You’ll have abs of steel in no time! For a top-level overview, check out our complete guide that covers everything you need to know about muscle health.
Joined Holland & Barrett: April 2019
Masters Degree in Toxicology and BSc Hons in Medical Biochemistry