Many people’s main goal when beginning a fitness journey is to lose weight and tone their abdominal section. Despite the fact that this is a rather popular exercise goal, it’s sometimes easier said than done and will likely require a lot of hard work and dedication. Luckily, however, there are many exercises you can do from the comfort of your own home to help tone your abs; many of these exercises are rather easy and adaptable to people of all skill levels. This guide to some of the best ab workouts at home will help put you on the right course toward more toned abs in no time. 

Planks

Planks are among the best ab workouts at home simply because they’re so versatile and adaptable. There are many different variations of planks, each equally as effective as the last.

For a standard plank, place your palms on the floor shoulder-width apart, with the shoulders stacked directly over the wrists. Extend your legs behind you and maintain a firm, solid line through your entire body. Engage your core and hold this pose for a few moments. This pose can also be adapted to fit varying skill levels. Rather than raising up on your feet, you can plant your knees or you can form a plank on your forearms rather than your palms. You can also alter this exercise to be a bit more difficult and dynamic. Try walking side-to-side while in plank formation or slowly walking your hands from a plank to a downward dog position.

Crunches

Crunches have held some contention in the workout community for years, but when done correctly, they can provide quite an effective ab workout. A basic crunch begins by laying on the floor on your back, with your feet planted on the floor and legs at a 90-degree angle with the ground. From there, you can either rise up fully to touch your elbows to your knees or engage in a slightly smaller crunch in which you only raise your upper back off the ground.

The most important thing to remember when doing crunches is to engage your core throughout the entire exercise. It can be tempting to allow gravity to do half the work for you when you return to a reclined position, but be sure to engage your core the entire way down. This will ensure the best results.

Push-ups

This may seem contradictory, given that push-ups are most commonly regarded as an arm exercise, but they can be quite an effective ab-toning workout as well. Much like planks, push-ups require that you maintain a flat back and keep your body in one strong line. Engage your abs both while pressing down and pushing up and remember to always breathe. This exercise can also target your glutes when done correctly and serves well as a total body exercise.

In addition to the floor exercises listed above, many home exercise machines can help improve ab definition. Stop by American Home Fitness to find the equipment that’s right for you. At our workout supply stores in Sterling Heights and the surrounding areas, you’ll surely find the perfect equipment for your workout.