A 10-minute core workout you can do at home

A good 10-minute core workout works your whole midsection, not just the six-pack muscles: the front, the sides, and the lower back. Five exercises done twice, for 40 seconds each with 20 seconds of rest, covers all of it in exactly ten minutes, on a bit of floor, with no equipment.

Below is the workout, how to do each move well, how to make it easier or harder, and a leg-day version that uses the same format.

What your core actually does

Your core is the band of muscle between your ribs and your hips: the abdominal muscles at the front, the obliques at the sides, the deep muscles that wrap around underneath, and the muscles along your spine. Their main job is less about bending you forward, as a crunch does, and more about holding your trunk steady while your arms and legs move. That's why planks and slow, controlled moves belong in a core workout alongside crunches.

One thing core training won't do is burn fat from your stomach in particular. Your body doesn't lose fat from the area you exercise. A stronger core makes everyday lifting, carrying and twisting feel steadier, and it helps with every other exercise. How visible your abs are depends mostly on your overall body fat.

The 10-minute core workout

Do each exercise for 40 seconds, then rest for 20 seconds while you get into position for the next. Go through all five, then repeat them once more. That's ten minutes exactly.

Rest 20 seconds after each move. If you've got a couple of minutes first, march on the spot and do a few slow bird dogs and glute bridges to warm up.

How to do each move

• 
  Plank

  Forearms under your shoulders, legs straight, body in one line from head to heels. Squeeze your glutes and pull your belly button in. Don't let your hips sag or pike up. From your knees is fine to begin with.

• 
  Bicycle crunch

  On your back, hands lightly behind your head and shoulders off the floor. Bring one knee in as you turn the opposite elbow towards it, then switch, like pedalling. Turn from your ribs, not by pulling on your neck. Slower is harder.

• 
  Bird dog

  On hands and knees, reach one arm forward and the opposite leg back until both are level with your body. Hold for a second without letting your hips tip, then switch sides. Imagine balancing a glass of water on your lower back.

• 
  Side plank

  On one forearm, feet stacked, lift your hips until your body is straight. Switch sides halfway. Drop your bottom knee to the floor to make it easier.

• 
  Leg lift

  Lie on your back with your legs straight and hands under your lower back or by your sides. Raise your legs to vertical, then lower them slowly, stopping just before your lower back starts to arch off the floor. Bend your knees to make it easier.

Easier and harder versions

If you can't finish a full 40 seconds with good form, rest for a moment and carry on, or swap in an easier version:

• Easier: plank and side plank from your knees, a basic crunch in place of the bicycle crunch, leg lifts with bent knees, or 30 seconds of work and 30 of rest.
• Harder: a third round (15 minutes), slower bicycle crunches, longer side planks, or swap moves for tougher ones. A knee pull-in or a jackknife crunch in place of leg lifts works well, and so does a superman in place of the bird dog.

• 
  Jackknife crunch

  Lie flat with arms overhead, then lift your arms and legs together to meet over your middle. Lower with control.

• 
  Superman

  Face down with arms stretched out, lift your arms, chest and legs a few centimetres off the floor and hold for a moment.

Two or three core sessions a week is plenty, on top of whatever else you do. Your core works in most other exercises too, so it doesn't need to be trained every day. If any move hurts your back, as opposed to making your muscles burn, stop and swap it for a different one.

Leg day at home, in 10 minutes

The same format works for your legs and glutes, with no weights. Do each move for 40 seconds with 20 seconds of rest, and go through the five twice.

• 
  Squat

  Feet about shoulder width apart, knees in line with your toes. Take three seconds on the way down to make it harder.

• 
  Donkey kick

  Keep the knee bent at a right angle and lift from the glute, without arching your lower back.

• 
  Wall sit

  Back flat on the wall, knees over your ankles. Start higher up the wall if 40 seconds is too long.

To make it harder, add a third round, swap the lunge for a side lunge, or do the glute bridge on one leg. If you're happy to make some noise, squat jumps in place of squats push your heart rate up.

Iron Core and Leg Day Legends

If you'd like these planned for you, Streaks Workout has a Workout Pack for each. Iron Core has five core workouts that go from an easy primer (Core Wake-Up) to a run of plank holds (Plank Purgatory) and a lower-ab session (Engine Room). Leg Day Legends has five lower-body workouts, from glute activation (Glute Camp) to squats, lunges and squat jumps (Pistons). Each pack is a one-time purchase, with its own voice coaching and music, on your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Apple TV.