Core, stomach and abdominal exercises have significant benefits, including their ability to improve posture, stability and balance. If you work out at home, they're especially useful because they only require a small amount of space and are easy to complete in a short period of time. The most effective choices include the plank, bicycle crunches, the superman pose and cardio core movements.
Plank
The plank is an isometric pose that challenges a variety of inner core and stabilizing muscles. CNN recommends it because it works several of the body's 29 core muscles, as opposed to targeting only the abdominals. You'll need a towel, mat or soft carpet to do the plank at home. Lie on your stomach with your elbows directly under your shoulders and your forearms extended on the soft mat. Clasp your hands together and push up on your forearms and toes, holding your body up and maintaining a straight line from your heels to your shoulders. Hold the pose for as long as possible while keeping your core muscles contracted and back straight.
Bicycle Crunch
According to the American Council on Exercise, the bicycle crunch is one of the best stomach exercises because it works obliques and quadriceps in addition to upper and lower abs. Start on your back with knees bent at 90 degrees, feet in the air and fingertips behind your ears. Breathe out and crunch upward, twisting to your right as you go. At the same time, bring your left elbow toward your right knee and pull your right knee in toward your chest while extending your left leg. Pause briefly before returning to the start and repeating the move on the other side. Do bicycle crunches slowly enough to focus on avoiding neck strain and originating all movement from your core, keeping your abs tight and contracted.
Superman
The superman exercise targets your lower back, protecting it from potential damage you could do while engaging in other stomach exercises. Since crunches and plank work can put pressure on the lower back, it's important to cool down a home ab routine with a move like the superman. Lie on your stomach with arms extended in front of you. Breathe out, tighten your glutes and keep your neck neutral as you raise your four limbs off the floor, extending as high as you can. Pause and return to the start before repeating the move. The Mayo Clinic suggests putting a folded towel beneath your hips and forehead to keep the movement comfortable.
Cardio
The Mayo Clinic says stomach exercises, while effective for toning and tightening muscles, will not spot-reduce fat on the midsection and can't spur efficient weight loss. If you need to drop a few pounds to be able to appreciate your newly defined muscles, you'll have to do cardio. One way to combine cardio exercise with ab work is to do dynamic plank exercises. Try mountain climbers, in which you hold a plank pose and quickly move each foot in toward your chest in a running motion, or plank jacks, in which you hold the plank and jump feet out and in as if for a jumping jack.
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