Sipping a tall glass of water and moving your body is a great way to kick off the day. After all, establishing healthy habits in the morning helps support better choices throughout the afternoon. If you’re specifically looking to strengthen your core, this is a stellar fitness goal to hone in on. We’re here to help and chatted with Jacob Siwicki, an online fitness coach and founder of Siwicki Fitness, with clients ranging from those in their 20s to their 70s. He shares five simple morning exercises that can restore core strength after 55—no gym machines required. Before debuting Siwicki Fitness in 2020, Siwicki was a top 1% globally ranked instructor at Equinox.

“Restoring core strength after 55 means working on your deep core and continuing to strengthen your core,” Siwicki tells us. “Gym machines might fall short when it comes to building functional core strength, because there are not a lot that focus on the deep core, which is what older adults need, especially if they need to repair it because it’s so weak.”

Dead Bugs

1. Lie flat on your back, arms extended toward the ceiling and knees lifted in a tabletop position.
2. Press your back into the floor and engage your core.
3. Lower one arm and the opposite leg.
4. Return to the start position.
5. Repeat on the other side and continue to alternate.

​​RELATED: 5 Core Moves That Burn Belly Fat Faster Than Crunches

Planks

1. Place your hands under your shoulders.
2. Press into the pads of your fingers and hug your inner arm toward your armpit.
3. Alternatively, lower onto your forearms.
4. Walk your feet out to hip-width.
5. Engage your abs, squeeze your buttocks, and pull upward through your quads.

RELATED: If You Can Hold These 4 Standing Positions After 55, Your Core Strength Is Elite

Bicycle Kicks

1. Lie flat on your back and brace your core.
2. Lift both feet a few inches off the ground.
3. Keep one leg straight while bending the other to a 90-degree angle.
4. Start to alternate legs in a controlled motion.
5. Keep your core engaged throughout.

RELATED: These 6 Bodyweight Moves Build Core Strength Faster Than Planks After 40

Crunches

1. Lie flat on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground, hip-width apart.
2. Place your hands at the back of your head.
3. Engage your core and press your lower back into the floor.
4. Lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the ground as you crunch up, bringing your upper body toward your knees.
5. Use control to lower.

RELATED: 5 Effective Core Exercises That Build Strength Better Than Gym Workouts After 45

Penguins

1. Lie flat on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
2. Place your arms at your sides with palms facing down.
3. Lift your shoulders and head slightly off the ground.
4. Engage your core as you reach your right hand toward your heel, bending at the waist.
5. Return to the center.
6. Repeat on the other side.

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