3 Moves to Strengthen your Core

For many years, much of our knowledge of the way muscles work was based on the study of human cadavers. By looking at the anatomy of corpses, modern scientists figured that the function of our abdominal muscles, especially the lower abs, must be to flex the spine.

Which is exactly what you do when you perform a crunch, a situp, or any other move that requires you to round your lower back. As a result, these exercises were popularized as the best way to work your lower abs, and included in every fitness training program or lower abs workout you’d find anywhere.

But the reality is that your lower abs have a more critical function than flexing your spine: Their main job is to stabilize it. In fact, your midsection muscles are the reason your torso stays upright instead of falling forward due to gravity. So your lower abs actually prevent your spine from flexing.

The upshot is that if you want better results from your lower abs workout, you need to train your lower abs for stability. And the best part of this workout? You’ll hardly have to move. See below for the best lower abs workout for women.

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