Fantastic 6 Minute Abs Workout At Home: A Beginners Guide

You don’t need expensive exercise equipment for an effective abs workout at home. All you need is enough space for a yoga mat and 6 minutes of effort.

Partial Crunch Exercise

1. Lie on your back with hands behind head.
2. Lift shoulder blades off mat, and raise legs so knees are bent at 90 degrees,
3. Look down to your thighs, keeping neck relaxed. This is the default starting position.
4. Engage abs and rotate right elbow toward left knee while extending the right leg to straight,
5. Lower your leg as close to the floor as possible, without resting it on the mat.
6. Return to the default starting position and repeat on the other side.

Push Up Plank Exercise

1. Begin in plank position.
2. Bend your elbows, lowering into a push-up.
3. Straighten your arms and lift your right arm toward the ceiling, twisting into a side plank to make a T shape with your body.
4. Rotate back to plank, placing your right palm on the floor, to lower into a push-up.
5. This time as you straighten your arms, rotate to the left lifting the left up. Return to plank.
6. Continue this exercise for 45 seconds, alternating between sides. Rest for 15 seconds.
7. Bring your right hand and foot back down to the floor, and repeat the sequence, switching sides on the next side plank.
8. Continue alternating sides on each rep.

Elbow Plank Exercise

1. Start face down on the floor resting on your forearms and knees.
2. Push off the floor, raising up off your knees onto your toes and resting mainly on your elbows.
3. Contract your abdominals to keep yourself up and prevent your booty from sticking up.
4. Keep your back flat – don’t let it drop or you’ll be defeating the purpose. Picture your body as a long straight board, or plank.
5. Hold as long as you can. Aim for 20-30 seconds in the beginning and work your way up to one minute, as you get stronger. Repeat three times.
6. Lie on your stomach with your toes tucked in. Press your forearms on the ground and lift your body into a straight line and Hold.

Mermaid Crunches

1. Lay down on the left side and keep your legs together as you reach one hand to your toes (coming up onto your elbow).
2. It looks like you are doing a big side crunch laying down.
3. Lie on your right side with your left hand behind your head and your right hand on the floor.
4. Press down into your right hand, bringing your torso toward your legs.
5. Lower yourself back to the floor with control. This completes one rep.
6. Repeat for 30 seconds, then switch sides.

You can modify this sequence, by bending your knees on the way up. This will reduce the stress on your hips and lower back.

If you want to advance this exercise, lift both arms up as you come into the post.

Add Variety: Standing Core Exercises for a Full-Body Burn

Incorporating standing core exercises into your routine is a great way to engage your abs while also activating other muscle groups. These exercises not only target your core but also improve balance, coordination, and overall stability. Here’s one to try:

Standing Oblique Crunch

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, hands lightly touching the sides of your head.
2. Shift your weight onto your left leg and lift your right knee toward your right elbow, crunching to the side.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side, lifting your left knee toward your left elbow.
4. Perform this exercise for 45 seconds, alternating sides, and rest for 15 seconds.

Pro Tip: To make this exercise more challenging, hold a small dumbbell or water bottle in each hand while crunching.

Standing exercises like these are perfect for people who find traditional floor-based movements uncomfortable or want a dynamic addition to their workout. They also provide a cardiovascular element, keeping your heart rate elevated for added calorie burn.

Conclusion

The factors that dictate how our bodies look are too many to keep track of. Age, genetics, sex, hormones, body type, lifestyle, eating habits, stress management, sleeping habits, and many more.

All of these decide what your body and, therefore, your stomach looks like. Always remember, exercise should be about fitness. And exercising your abs at home is a great way to build on your fitness, release endorphins, and altogether improve your health.