You only need two light dumbbells and 15 minutes to strengthen your core, arms and shoulders – Fit and Well
Build core strength and stability without a single sit-up
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If, like me, you’re not a huge fan of sit-ups, the good news is there are plenty of other ways to strengthen your abs and deep core. A stronger core supports your spine, reduces back pain, improves balance and stability, and makes everyday tasks easier.Fitness trainer Danica Osborn has created an eight-move workout designed to build core and upper-body strength.”You’ll love how these [moves] promote balance, and how they strengthen your core without doing boring crunches from the mat!” she says in her video. Scroll down to see how to do the workout.A post shared by Danica Osborn (@devotefitdanica)A photo posted by on The circuit features rotational moves, unilateral (one-sided) exercises and dynamic swings, all of which engage the deep-lying core muscles and oblique (side body) muscles to build strength and stability.Osborn uses light dumbbells (2.5kg/5lbs) and recommends doing each exercise for 45 seconds followed by 15 to 30 seconds of rest. Aim to do two rounds.Osborn’s workout combines a range of movement patterns that enhance core stability, balance and mobility. Here’s how:Unilateral exercisesStart your week with achievable workout ideas, health tips and wellbeing advice in your inbox.These are moves that work one side of your body at a time. These include the knee repeater and the rainbow press-and-march, which engage stabilizing muscles to improve balance.Rotational exercisesMoves like the wood chop, squat-and-core twist and the cross crunch involve twisting, training the body to rotate and move well in different directions. They strengthen the obliques and improve functional movement.Dynamic swingsThe dumbbell swing in this workout strengthens the posterior chain—muscles in the back of the body such as the glutes, hamstrings, calves and back. These muscles work together to maintain posture and spinal control as well as enhance movement and overall strength.Adjustable weights are great if you want to follow workouts like this one at home because you can add more load as you become stronger. All of the below are taken directly from our guide to the best adjustable dumbbells, so they have been tried and tested by our team.Best for fast weight changesBest budget pickBest overallMaddy Biddulph is a freelance journalist specializing in fitness, health and wellbeing content. With 26 years in consumer media, she has worked as a writer and editor for some of the bestselling newspapers, magazines and websites in the US and UK. She is also a qualified L3 personal trainer and weight loss advisor, and helps women over 40 navigate menopause by improving their physical and mental strength. At Maddy Biddulph Personal Training, she runs one-to-one and small group training for menopausal women who want to get fit to ease symptoms and feel like themselves again.
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