Sit-ups and crunches have always been the go-to bodyweight exercise for anyone looking to tone their abs, but they’re not your only option. If sitting on the floor while working out isn’t your thing, there are certainly more fun ways to engage your core.
No equipment is needed for this exercise, but it’s a good idea to use a yoga mat to protect your floor from sweat. You’ll be on the move for a full 20 minutes, so it’s a pretty sweaty session.
This standing ab workout from fitness trainer GrowWithJo is low-impact and perfect for beginners, but any gym-goer can benefit from this routine. You’ll stay on your feet throughout the session and it’s more like a dance than a traditional workout, so keep moving to the rhythm and the time will fly by.
Watch GrowWithJo’s 20-Minute Standing Abs Workout
Once you start the workout, there are no rest periods, although you can of course take a break whenever you need to. You do each exercise for 40 seconds before moving on to the next one, with Jo demonstrating the next move next to you on the screen for the last 5 seconds of the current exercise.
Instead of typical bodyweight exercises like squats and lunges, this flow-type workout involves lifting and bending your legs in rhythm to train your abdominal muscles. The constant movement also increases your heart rate, providing a positive effect on your cardiovascular system while burning calories.
It’s a great workout for beginners who can keep going for the entire session as none of the movements are too difficult. You’ll likely take breaks to drink water every now and then so it’s a good idea to keep a great water bottle nearby to stay hydrated.
Unlike traditional ab workouts that aim to fatigue your muscles with extended efforts that directly target your upper and lower abs, this standing workout builds your overall fitness while working your muscles in a way that strengthens them, but isn’t so intense that it leaves your core sore for days afterwards.
This type of aerobic abdominal exercise is a great way to increase your overall daily activity and can help you reach the 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week recommended by most major health organizations, including the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It’s also the type of exercise that’s more likely to improve your mood, leaving you feeling more energized for the rest of the day, rather than extremely tired.
If you prefer a more traditional approach that focuses more directly on your abs, this 20-minute bodyweight ab workout is designed to target every part of your torso, including your obliques and upper and lower abs. However, it doesn’t involve dancing, and it’s objectively less fun.