Exercises like push-ups, crunches, planks and Russian twists involve the hands, forearms, buttocks or the back touching the ground. But what if you don’t want to sit or lie down or use your hands to touch the ground or the padded mat, and still work on your abs? In that case, standing ab workout is what you need to do. You can stand and perform the exercises without sitting to strengthen your core. This is an effective no-floor workout option that can engage your core muscles, as well as improve stability and balance too.

What is a standing ab workout?

The standing ab workout includes a set of exercises that are performed while standing and do not require sitting or lying down. “These exercises activate the core muscles, including the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, obliques, the lower back muscles, and also some muscles of the hips and glutes,” says fitness expert Aman Puri.

Core muscles play a key role in our movement. They help in stabilising the spine and pelvis, which is essential for walking, running, jumping and throwing, as per an analysis published in the International Journal of Public Health and Medical Research.

“In a standing position, the body works against gravity, which exercises the core muscles more,” says the expert. Exercises that target the core are effective in getting rid of muscular fatigue caused by prolonged sitting, as per research published in Scoping Review. Standing ab workout is also effective in building functional strength and improving body posture, which is important. After all, poor posture can cause back or neck pain and headaches, according to Harvard Health Publishing.

Standing ab workout: Exercises for your core

Here are a few exercises that can be easily performed and included in the standing ab workout:

1. Torso twist

• Stand straight, keeping your arms straight in the front.
• Twist your upper body from side to side, with your hands stretched towards the extreme back position.

This exercise should be part of the standing ab workout, as it reduces belly fat and targets the transverse abdominis muscles.

2. High knee exercise

• To perform the high knee exercise, stand straight.
• Start jogging in one place by moving your knees up towards your chest in rapid motion.

“This exercise helps tone the core muscles, burns calories, and improves the strength of the lower abdominal muscles,” says the expert.

3. Reverse lunge twist

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in front with both hands.
• Now take one leg towards the back and bend, lowering your knee towards the ground.
• Rotate your torso and move your arms holding the dumbbell towards the right and left, twisting your body and then coming back to the centre. You can switch the legs and repeat the same movements.

Adding weight to your standing ab workout can make it more challenging.

4. Single leg lift

• Lift your legs straight up and hold them parallel to the floor for a few seconds, with your back and knees straight.
• Stand straight with feet hip-width apart and squeeze your abdominal muscles when lifting the leg.

“It is an effective exercise that strengthens the lower abdominal and core muscles,” says Puri.

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5. Overhead march

• Raise your knees in a marching movement while raising your hand and holding a dumbbell.
• While holding one dumbbell upwards simultaneously you have to march on the spot raising your leg by bending your knees at 90 degrees.
• Switch over the dumbbell to the other arm side and repeat.

It helps activate both upper and lower body muscles including the entire core.

6. Standing side crunches

• Stand straight by placing both your hands behind your head.
• Lift one knee in an upward direction moving outwards and crunching sideways to make your elbow and knee meet.
• Twist the opposite elbow to touch your knee and repeat the same steps with the other side.

It’s a variation of crunches that targets the upper abs and obliques area.

7. Dumbbell woodchop

• Take a dumbbell in one hand while slightly widening the width between your legs.
• Move the dumbbell upward and reach it up overhead.
• Bend your knee a little inwards toward the other leg down towards the floor, rotating your torso and swinging the dumbbell.
• Cross your other leg backwards.
• Then again raise the dumbbell overhead, repeating the upward and downward movement.

Dumbbell woodchop should be oart of the standing ab workout, as it targets the rotational core and oblique parts of the body.

8. Standing bicycle crunches

• Stand straight by placing both your hands behind your head and legs aligned with the hip width.
• Lift one knee in an upward direction till your chest and twist the opposite side elbow to touch your knee.
• Then switch to the other and repeat the same steps with the other side elbow and knees.

This exercise involves both hand and leg movements and targets the upper ab and obliques area.

9. Standing mountain climber

• Make a position like you are climbing a wall or mountain, supporting your hands with a wall.
• Raise your knee to the hip level extending the opposite arm up.
• Switch sides by raising your knee upward and opposite hand above your head, moving your leg and hands alternatively.

“It is a simple, effective exercise that targets the core and abs, enhancing aerobic fitness and burning calories,” says Puri.

10. Standing crossbody toe touch

• Stand straight while keeping your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Touch your left hand to your right foot (opposite one).
• Follow the same step with the other hand.

This exercise should be part of your standing ab workout, as it targets the oblique, core and hamstring muscles.

11. Standing pike crunch

• To perform this core strengthening exercise, keep your hands straight in an upward direction overhead while standing straight.
• Then keep the core tight.
• Bring one leg up straight in front of your body and try to touch it with both straight hands; at this moment give a slight back bend to perform a crunch.

“This exercise is basically a standing leg raise with a crunch. It helps develop core strength by targeting the abdominal muscles,” says the expert.

Who should not perform standing ab workout?

Some people should avoid these exercises:

• People with back issues need to note that regular arching of the back during exercise can put unnecessary strain on the spine.
• Continuous core exercise can lead to strain on the hip flexors that may contribute towards lower back pain.
• If you have any pre-existing injury, try to perform the core exercises without weights to reduce the risk of further injury or strain.
• Overexerting the muscles can lead to muscle soreness, so older people should particularly be careful and perform controlled movements to avoid any muscle tightness and soreness of muscles which contribute towards pain.
• Those with balance issues should avoid doing faster and jerky movements while performing these exercises as they can increase the risk of falling due to dizziness.

Standing ab workout, which targets the core ab muscles, can be a great option for those who cannot sit on the ground and perform floor exercises. These easy-to-do exercises can help engage core muscles, which helps improve stability and balance. However, people with health issues or injuri should check with their doctor before trying the standing ab workout.