Crunches are the exercise most people picture when they think "core," and the one many people quietly avoid. Good news: you don't need them.
Your core is more than the muscles at the front of your stomach. It includes the deeper muscles around your spine and pelvis that keep your trunk steady while your arms and legs move. That steadiness is what makes carrying, lifting, twisting and even walking feel secure, and you can train it without curling your neck up off the floor.
Why skip the crunches?
Crunches aren't dangerous for most people, but they train a narrow slice of what the core does, and many people feel them in their neck more than their abs. Harvard Health's guidance for older adults leans on bridges, modified planks and an opposite arm-and-leg raise (similar to the bird dog below) instead, because they train the trunk to hold steady, which carries over to daily life.
The four moves
1. Dead bug
Lie on your back, arms pointing at the ceiling, knees bent at 90 degrees over your hips. Keep your lower back gently pressed toward the floor. Slowly lower the opposite arm and leg toward the floor, return, and switch. Go slowly; the point is control.
2. Bird dog
On hands and knees, reach one arm forward and the opposite leg back until both are level with your body. Pause, return, switch. Keep your hips square, as if balancing a cup of water on your lower back.
3. Glute bridge
Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat. Press through your heels to lift your hips until your body makes a straight line from shoulders to knees. Pause, lower slowly.
4. Plank (start on your knees)
Forearms on the floor, elbows under shoulders, knees down. Make a straight line from head to knees and breathe normally. Move to full plank (on your toes) when the knee version feels easy.
A two-minute warm-up
Before the routine, loosen up with a minute of cat-cow on hands and knees (slowly rounding and arching your back), followed by ten gentle pelvic tilts lying on your back. It helps you find the "neutral" spine position that the main moves rely on, and it makes the dead bug in particular much easier to control.
The 10-minute routine
- Dead bug: 8 slow reps per side
- Bird dog: 8 reps per side, with a 2-second pause
- Glute bridge: 12 reps
- Plank: 20 to 30 seconds
Rest 30 to 60 seconds, then repeat the circuit once or twice. Do it two or three times a week.
How to progress
Change one thing at a time: slower reps, longer pauses, an extra round, or a harder version (full plank, single-leg bridge). If form slips, go back a step.
What a good week looks like
- Monday: the 10-minute routine
- Tuesday: a walk
- Wednesday: the 10-minute routine
- Thursday: rest or a gentle stretch
- Friday: the 10-minute routine
- Weekend: whatever activity you enjoy
After two or three weeks, most people find the moves feel steadier and can add a round or a harder version. That's the sign to progress, not the calendar.
Common mistakes
- Rushing. Speed turns these into momentum exercises. Slow is the whole point.
- Holding your breath. Breathe steadily throughout.
- Arching the lower back. In the dead bug and plank, keep the lower back from sagging.
- Doing it daily at full effort. Rest days help. Gentle daily practice is fine; hard daily sessions aren't necessary.
If you have back pain, are pregnant or postpartum, or are recovering from surgery, check with a healthcare professional before starting a new core routine.
When does equipment help?
You can build a strong core with nothing but a floor. Equipment becomes useful in two situations: when getting up and down from the floor is uncomfortable, and when you want to add resistance after the bodyweight versions feel easy. A mat makes floor work kinder on knees and wrists. A guided machine can give people who dislike floor exercises a supported way to train the same muscles. Neither is required to start, and the four moves above remain a good base even if you add equipment later.
FAQ
Are crunches bad?
Not for most people, but they're optional. The moves above train more of the core's everyday job.
How often should beginners train core?
Two or three times a week is a sensible start, alongside general activity like walking.
Can you train your core every day?
Gentle practice, yes. Harder sessions benefit from rest days in between.
Want a plan instead of a list?
4 Weeks to a Better Core (free)
Three short, no-equipment sessions a week for four weeks, sent by email. No purchase required.
Get the free plan →Prefer guided motion? The Ab Machine supports a knee-tuck movement for people who find floor work uncomfortable. And if you like the no-crunch approach, read the ab workout for people who hate crunches.