This 10-Minute Dancer-Inspired Standing Core Workout Hardly Feels Like Work

Core work can be uncomfortable, not just because it burns so good in the ab area, but because in most floor-based exercises, the neck and back get pulled along for the ride and can be easily tweaked. For this reason, some of us may prefer to opt for standing abs, and in the latest episode of Good Moves, The Ness founder Colette Dong offers an option for those adverse to floor work: A 10-minute dance-inspired standing core workout with nary a traditional crunch in sight.

“I love standing abs because if you’re someone that usually feels a little bit of tension in the head, neck, and shoulders, or in the hips while you’re doing core work lying on the ground, this is an excellent alternative to strengthen the core while working on relaxing [the] upper body and releasing in those hips,” says Dong.

Instead of the typical floor-based exercises such as crunches and planks, this equipment-free workout relies on subtle rib cage maneuvers such as arches and tucks, side-to-side shifts, and twists. Dong also gets into your obliques with standing crunches, which mimic floor crunches but without the accompanying neck and back strain.

All the moves are executed in the spirit of a dance routine, so there’s an easy and playful flow that makes this standing core workout feel less like work than it actually is. After, you’ll be sore in all the right places, which is more than most of us can say for our typical floor-based ab routines. Press play to strengthen your core while protecting your easy-to-injure neck and back—all while having *actual* fun (promise!).

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