loor workouts aren’t the only way to strengthen your abs. These standing exercises challenge your core, improve balance and build functional strength that carries over into everyday life
A strong core isn’t just about aesthetics – it’s about moving and ageing better. Your core supports your spine every time you lift, twist, bend, carry or reach, helping support good posture, balance and overall strength. It’s also one of the most important muscle groups for healthy ageing, with research suggesting that regular core training can improve balance in older adults and help reduce the risk of falls and injuries.
The good news? Building a stronger core doesn’t have to mean endless crunches. Standing ab exercises are a fantastic way to strengthen your core while improving balance, coordination, hip mobility and functional fitness.
“This is because standing moves challenge the ‘deep core’ muscles (the inner layer of muscles around the abdomen, also known as the transverse abdominis) more when compared to doing them on the floor,” explains fitness instructor and yoga and Pilates teacher Eloise Skinner.
“If you imagine a floor-based core exercise, you can see that the body benefits from the support of the floor underneath you (even though you can still get a great core challenge by intentionally recruiting the correct muscles). In contrast, standing ab exercises remove that support, meaning that the core has to work harder to hold the body in the correct position and support the movement.”
Standing exercises also mirror the way we move through everyday life. Whether you’re carrying shopping, climbing the stairs, lifting children or reaching for something on the kitchen shelf, your core braces your spine, resists rotation and keeps you stable. Training it in this way can therefore feel more practical and transferable than relying solely on floor-based exercises.
The five exercises below strengthen your core while keeping you on your feet. Together, they target your abs, obliques and deep core muscles while improving balance, coordination and stability.
The standing knee-to-elbow crunch challenges your core as you rotate, while squats strengthen your lower body and teach your core to brace as you move through the exercise. Standing side bends fire up the obliques, knee-to-elbow lifts combine balance with core control, and the standing bird-dog challenges stability by forcing your core to keep your spine steady as your arms and legs move.
Five Standing Abs Exercises To Build A Stronger, More Functional Core
1. Standing Knee-To-Elbow Crunch
Reps: 10 each side
Sets: 3
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and place your fingertips behind your ears with your elbows pointing out to the sides. Shift your weight onto one leg, then bring the opposite knee towards the opposite elbow, rotating gently through your torso. Return to the start and repeat on the other side.
2. Standing Squats
Reps: 15
Sets: 3
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and brace your core. Push your hips back and lower into a squat until your thighs are roughly parallel with the floor. Drive through your heels to return to standing.
3. Standing Side Bend
Reps: 5 each side
Sets: 3
Standing with your feet hip distance, place your arms by your sides. Slowly bend your torso to one side, feeling the muscles on one side of your waist contract while the opposite side lengthens. Complete all five reps before repeating on the other side.
4. Standing Knee-To-Elbow Lift
Reps: 10 each side
Sets: 3
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and place your fingertips behind your ears. Lift your left knee towards your left elbow as you side bend through your torso. Return to the start before repeating on the opposite side.
5. Standing Bird-Dog
Reps: 10 each side
Sets: 3
Stand tall with your feet close together and brace your core. Hinge forwards from the hips as you simultaneously extend your left arm forwards and your right leg behind you, keeping your back flat and your hips level. Pause when your torso is almost parallel with the floor, then slowly return to standing. Complete all your reps before switching sides.
How To Get More Out Of Standing Ab Exercises
“Standing ab exercises work best when your posture stays strong and you consciously engage your deep core muscles before every rep,” says Skinner.
“To do this, think about pulling your navel towards your spine or imagine zipping up a tight pair of jeans. This creates an ‘in and up’ feeling through the core muscles. It’s also important to avoid flaring your ribs, especially if you naturally have a more flexible spine.”
Once you’ve mastered the basics, you can make standing ab exercises more challenging by increasing your range of motion, slowing the movement down to increase time under tension, speeding it up for more of a cardio challenge, or simply performing more repetitions.
“Standing ab work can also be made more intense by increasing the range of motion, which requires greater core control,” says Skinner.
You can also increase the balance challenge by lifting one foot off the floor if the move allows, forcing your core to work harder to keep you stable. “Adding resistance bands, ankle weights, wrist weights or dumbbells can also increase the difficulty,” adds Skinner.
Just be sure to choose a weight you can control. The resistance should feel challenging without compromising your technique. If your posture starts to suffer, reduce the load, perfect your technique and then gradually build the resistance back up.
