3 Amazing Beginner Core Exercises for People Who Hate Crunches

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Strengthening the core should be one of the first steps of everyone’s fitness journey. It can be tricky to pick the right core exercises when you’re still a newbie, and that’s why so many people opt for crunches. Unfortunately, they’re not always so easy to perform when you’re starting out, so here are a few beginner-friendly moves that you should be doing instead.

Side Plank

Planks are the definitive core exercise and they come in many different shapes and forms. The forearm side plank is an especially great pick because it forces you to have a solid base in your feet and resist leaning to the side while performing the exercise.

Dead Bug

Don’t let the funny name of this movement fool you, because it’s actually one of the most effective core and ab exercises on the market. Doing the dead bug on a regular basis will teach you to stop arching your lower back as you move your arms and legs, and that’s why it’s one of the best core exercises for people dealing with back pain.

Bird Dog

Many beginners struggle with keeping their shoulders and hips even while leaning from side to side. If you have the same problem, learning to do bird dog with proper form will bring you closer to solving it.