Every Exercise Can Be a Core Exercise
One of the questions I get asked pretty often by friends and patients is: "What are the best exercises to strengthen my core?"
Maybe they have trouble rolling over in bed. Maybe they've noticed their posture isn't what it used to be, or they struggle to carry something heavy, or getting up off the floor isn't as easy as it used to be. Whatever the reason, they want to know what exercises they should be doing to build a stronger core.
Usually, they expect me to hand them a list of crunches and planks.
Your Core Is More Than Your Abs
Don't get me wrong, crunches and planks can absolutely be great core exercises. But your core is much more than your abs. It's a team of muscles, including your abs, back, hips, diaphragm, and pelvic floor, all working together to stabilize your spine and transfer force through your body.
Here's the biggest thing I want people to understand: every exercise can be a core exercise.
Core strength isn't just about how long you can hold a plank. It's about your ability to stabilize your spine while your arms and legs move, maintain good alignment, and transfer force through your body.
What "Core Strength" Actually Looks Like in Motion
Think about an overhead press. You're not lying on the floor doing an ab exercise — but your core is working the entire time to keep your ribs, pelvis, and spine controlled while you press a weight overhead.
The same thing happens when you squat, carry groceries, pick something up off the floor, or lift your kid. The goal isn't just to strengthen your core in isolation. It's to teach your core how to work while you move through the things you already do every day.
This isn't just a training philosophy, it's backed by research. A six-week core-training study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (2020) found that college students who trained core stability (not just crunches, but planks, bird dogs, and progressively less stable positions) saw a 9.5% improvement in overall functional movement scores, including a 17.4% improvement in lunge mechanics and a 9.7% improvement in rotational stability. In other words: train the core the right way, and it shows up in how your whole body moves — not just in how long you can hold a plank.
4 Core Exercises Beyond Crunches and Planks
Here are a few of my favorite core exercises that go beyond the traditional crunch-and-plank routine:
Suitcase Marches: Hold a weight in one hand and slowly march in place without letting your trunk lean toward the weight. Your core has to work to keep your spine and pelvis stable while your legs move.
Suitcase Squats: Hold a weight on one side while performing a squat. This adds an anti-side-bending challenge, meaning your core has to keep you upright and centered while your legs do the work.
Kneeling Chops: From a half-kneeling or tall-kneeling position, use a dumbbell, cable, or band to move diagonally across your body. Your core has to control rotation while your arms and upper body move.
Plank Rows: From a plank position, row one weight at a time while trying to keep your hips and spine from rotating. Now your core has to stabilize while your upper body moves.
Squat. Carry. Press. Lift. Rotate. Move.
So the next time you think, "I need to work on my core," you don't have to spend 20 minutes doing crunches. Squat. Carry. Press. Lift. Rotate. Move.
Because core strength isn't about one exercise. It's about how you move.
— Dr. Allison
If you want a program built around real movement — not just isolated ab work — our personal training and group fitness programs are built exactly around this idea.
Ready to train your core the way it actually works? Book a free 15-minute discovery call, no pressure, just a real conversation about where you're at and how we can help.
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