You know that it’s important to work out your core, and everyone wants a pair of nice abs. However, there are plenty of reasons to work out your core as part of a well-rounded fitness regimen. According to the Mayo Clinic, core exercises can help improve your balance and stability and help tone your abs. When you have strong core muscles, it’s easier to do other physical activities. If you’re looking to reach your fitness goals and incorporate more core exercise into your workout routine, now is a great time to get started. Get your heart pumping and your core in shape by elevating your fitness with these 14 functional core exercises. 1. The Plank The plank is a classic core exercise you can do anywhere, including at home, traveling or just going to your usual gym. If you’re headed to the gym to work your core muscles, pack all your workout essentials in a silicone tote bag. Everyone has to start somewhere with core exercises, and the quintessential plank is a great place to start. It’s considered a beginner's move that fires your core, forcing you to support your body weight with your toes and forearms. To do the plank, get in a push-up position but rest on your forearms instead of your hands. Make sure you tense up your glutes and abs and that your back stays straight. Hold the pose without allowing your hips to sag. 2. The Side Plank The side plank activates deep spinal muscles to strengthen your core with a focus on obliques without putting stress on your back. To do the side plank, lie on your side with your right forearm flat on the floor and both legs extended. Keep your elbow under your shoulder and form a straight line from your head to your feet. The feet can be stacked one on top of the other for more of a challenging side plank or staggered for more stability. Lift your hips off the floor to engage your core and hold each side for 30 seconds. 3. The Deadbug The deadbug is another great beginner core exercise because they’re easy to do and a safe way to test your core strength. Begin by lying down on your back with your feet up, hands raised above you, and your knees at a 90-degree angle. Straighten one leg so your heel is an inch from the floor, lowering the opposite arm so it’s parallel to the floor. Then, return to the starting position and slowly repeat with the other arm and leg. 4. The Inchworm The full-body bodyweight movement of the inchworm increases flexibility and strengthens not only your core but also your legs, upper back and arms. You engage your core by bending over and walking out into a high plank position and back to the starting position. There’s quite a bit going on with this exercise, but it’s not as complicated as it may seem. To do the inchworm, stand with your feet hip distance apart. Then, bend over slowly, touching the floor in front of your feet with both hands. Keep your legs as straight as possible with a tight core. Walk your hands forward until you reach a high plank position. Don’t let your hips drop. Pause for a moment before slowly walking your hands back toward your feet. That’s considered one rep, so do that for 10 reps. 5. The Bird Dog The bird dog is another simple core exercise with similar benefits and movement to the deadbug. It encourages a neutral spine and improves your stability. This movement is considered a whole-body exercise that strengthens your core, back muscles and hips. Suffer from lower back pain? The bird dog, according to Healthline, is an ideal exercise for anyone with lower back concerns like hypermobility to help you develop better posture and good balance. Begin the bird dog by getting on all fours like a dog and stacking your wrists directly under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Keep your back flat with a slight bend in your elbows. With your core engaged, extend your left arm in front of you at shoulder height and your right leg straight behind you at hip level. Bring the extended leg back underneath you, stop at your hips and tap your knee to the opposite elbow. Lower your arm and leg down and repeat on the opposite side as one rep. Complete for 10 reps. 6. The Glute Bridge With a strong core comes a strong set of glutes, but many people tend to forget about how to target that muscle group. Strengthening your glutes will do wonders for your body now and for many years to come. To do the glute bridge, lie flat on your back with your legs bent. Drive through your heels to push your hips upwards as high as you can before pausing and returning to the start position. While the plank is often chosen as one of the best beginner exercises for your core, the glute bridge is highly underrated. Strong glutes support your back, and with strong glutes, you’ll be better able to support yourself effectively. 7. Swimming Superman You don’t have to go into the pool to take advantage of the swimming superman move. In the water, you know that swimming is a fantastic exercise for your core. You can still reap the benefits of the static extension of your hips and upper back to strengthen your core and glutes. Add a sort of “swimming” movement to make it harder. Lie on your stomach and hover your arms and feet slightly above the ground while tensing your glutes and abs. Then, bring your hands toward your face and bend your elbows. Pretend to start swimming and straighten your arms so your hands sweep to either side before you bring them back to your face again. Ensure your arms are hovering for the entire movement. 8. Flutter Kicks Flutter kicks are a surprisingly easy move that can make a big difference to your core strength. By hovering your heels and extending your legs, you’ll be focused on stabilizing your core in a way that’s safe for your lower back. Lie face down on a bench with your hips at the edge. Extend your legs off the back of the bench, and then raise your legs and squeeze your glutes until they’re level with your hips. Lift your left leg higher than your right leg and proceed to lower the left leg as you lift up the right leg. Keep it a controlled movement at all times throughout this exercise. 9. Single-Arm Press The single-arm press demands greater stability and balance because your core and whole body need to resist the urge to rotate when you’re just using one arm to press. This causes greater activation of the obliques and core muscles. To do the single-arm press, stand with your feet hip distance apart and hold a dumbbell in your right hand. Extend your left arm out to the side while you hold the dumbbell at your right shoulder. This is considered the starting position. Brace your core as you drive the weight overhead, keeping your bicep close over your ear and your palm facing toward you. Return to the starting position and that’s considered one rep. Continue for 10 reps on each side. 10. Bear Crawl You may feel a little silly crawling on the floor and pretending you’re a bear, so it helps to get into the mood to work out your core with the best workout accessories. Channel your inner grizzly bear by moving on all fours as you hover over the ground. It may sound bizarre, but your core muscles will really have to fire off to keep your shoulders, hips and spine all stabilized. It’s also a great warmup exercise or finisher to light up your entire body. To begin the bear crawl, start in a tabletop position with your wrists under your shoulders, neck aligned with the spine and knees under your hips. Keep a slight bend in your elbows and raise your hips slightly to lift your knees off the floor. Maintain a flat back as you slowly walk your hand and feet forward and then reverse the movement as one rep. Complete for 10 reps. Level Up Your Core Workouts with the Best Workout Accessories 11. Medicine Ball Slam Instead of wearing jewelry that can get in the way of your workout, especially when you’re slamming down a heavy medicine ball, wear functional jewelry that’s practical and stylish. The medicine ball slam challenges your entire upper body. When done correctly, it’ll also give your core an intense workout. Stand with your knees slightly bent and hold a medicine ball above your head with your arms extended. Bend forward at the waist and use your core to slam the ball down on the floor about a foot in front of you. Let your arms follow through so you’re stabilized and don’t fall forward. Catch the ball as it bounces back up and repeat. Athletes love doing this workout for the cardiovascular benefits, but it’s also a popular choice to exercise your core. Avoid the temptation of slamming the ball too hard or too fast because you’ll shorten your range of movement. To activate your core more, go into an extended position and go high with the ball. Make this workout even more challenging by doing a reverse lunge into the slam because it’ll force you to step back, stretch those muscles and then go into the explosive contraction. 12. TRX Row Plenty of gyms nowadays have TRX equipment, and if your gym doesn’t have it, you can certainly install it in your own home. If you’re not familiar with the TRX workout, it was inspired by the Navy SEALs who practice suspension training as a bodyweight exercise to develop core stability, flexibility, balance and strength simultaneously. It’s nearly impossible to use these without having to engage your core. To do a TRX row, grab the handles so they hang at your chest height and stand with your feet hip distance apart. Lean back until your arms are fully extended, pull your chest up and keep your elbows close to your body while squeezing your shoulder blades together behind you. Your hands and chest should meet. Pause at the top of the move and then slowly lower your body until your arms are fully extended again. 13. Dragon Flag The dragon flag does so much more than work your core. Your lower back, hip flexors, upper body and glutes are all going to need to support you, making it a perfect move to build that core strength. All you’ll need is a flat weight bench at home or at the gym. Begin the dragon flag by lying on your back and holding on to the bench behind your head. Bend your knees and kick your legs up high towards the ceiling, bringing your back off the bench. Then, slowly move your body back down to the starting position and repeat. 14. Russian Twists Boost your core strength with a Russian twist. Sit holding a dumbbell, kettlebell or weight plate with your arms extended and feet off the floor. Quickly twist your torso and turn from side to side. This exercise is a great choice for athletes, whether you’re a rower, runner or boxer. Your sport of choice, even if it’s golf, requires a certain amount of flexibility with rational movements. Adding the Russian twist into your core exercise rotation can help you get to the next level in your sport. It’s true that doing the same planks and sit-ups over and over again can be pretty boring. Even if you enjoy doing the same tried and true crunches, the key to getting sculpted abs is variety. Your core is your body’s central foundation, so once you build a strong and stable core, your body will be better able to achieve your fitness goals. This is your chance to move more efficiently and work out in confidence by looking great and feeling even better during your core workout. If you’re ready to look and feel your best when you’re working out, start by accessorizing with natural stone jewelry. QALO’s marble silicone rings are sustainable, earth-friendly and designed to help keep you grounded. Now go and work your core! Work Out in Style: Shop Our Silicone Rings Image Credits Cafe Racer/Shutterstock.com New Africa/Shutterstock.com Chad Zuber/Shutterstock.com BongkarnGraphic/Shutterstock.com Chris Nemes/Shutterstock.com Nomad_Soul/Shutterstock.com Big Mouse/Shutterstock.com