We’ve all heard the different sayings before: “sound body, sound mind”, “you’re only one workout away from a good mood”, “create healthy habits”. Taking care of your body is a great way to take care of your mind — and vice versa! If you’re working from home, have a little bit of free time on your hands, or want to start paying a little more attention to your physical health, a great place to start is your core. Here are some great at-home exercises you can start doing to benefit your core (abdomen, back muscles, and pelvis area) without needing any additional equipment!

So find a nice comfy spot, slide on your smart compression sleeve, and let’s get started!

To get the most of these core exercises, we recommend doing this as a timed circuit, performing each exercise for 1-minute - rest included. We love this formula because it can easily be adjusted for everyone’s strength levels. Are you a beginner? Do each exercise for :30 seconds, then rest for :30 seconds. Too easy? Shift to :40 second exercises with :20 seconds of rest. The goal is to work yourself up to no rest between exercises.

Perform each circuit, then rest for 1-minute. Try to do 3-5 circuits in total.

Exercise #1: Plank — It’s hard to overstate how useful planking is for building up your core muscles. To begin, place your hands on the floor directly beneath your shoulders, straightening your legs all the way back. Squeeze your glutes, unlock your knees, and stare straight down with your neck straight for as long as you can. Tip: the more you engage your different muscle groups, the better (and harder) the workout becomes. 

Exercise #2: Butterfly Sit-up — The butterfly sit-up takes sit-ups a step further and helps you to work out your abs. Lie on the floor, face-up, with your knees bent out to the side and your feet touching at the heels. Use your core muscles to lift up your body so you’re sitting up and touch your toes.

Exercise #3: Push-up — You know this one. I know this one. We all know this one. Start with your palms flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart, with your shoulders about level with your wrists (plank position!). Extend your legs behind you, and bend your elbows to lower your body. Push with your palms to straighten your arms and at a controlled pace. Your abs will thank you!

Exercise #4: Bicycle Crunch — To perform a bicycle crunch, lie flat on the floor, with your hands behind your head. Bend your knees and lift them towards your chest, lifting your shoulders off of the ground as you do so. Straighten out your right leg and turn your body to the left, and try to place your right elbow on your left knee as you do. Return to the original position and do the same thing with your left leg and right elbow. This is an amazing workout for your upper abdomen and side abdomen too, while giving your arms a break.

Create your own routine by exploring what works for you, what challenges you, and what parts of your body you want to work on the most. Let us know what you come up with!

You can learn more about amazing at-home workout techniques and tricks by following @eSmartr and @kirstydunne_.