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    Home » Fitness Tips For Moms

    10 Minute Ab Workout

    Modified: Aug 24, 2024 · by Shelby Stover · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

    Pin image with text: close up shot of a woman in purple sports bra and black pants lifting her shirt to show a flat tummy
    Pin image with text: close up shot of a woman in purple sports bra and black pants lifting her shirt to show a flat tummy

    Looking for a stronger and more functional core? This 10 minute ab workout will get you there! Skip the sit ups and instead opt for this at-home core workout!

    This home ab workout targets all the muscles of your core with low-impact, strength-based moves. Not only will it strengthen your abs bit it'll help you pick up, lift, and play better too!

    Woman in sports bra and pants with nice abs and text above the image.

    Though most ab workouts are geared towards flat stomachs and six pack muscles, as a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, I can tell you that you need much more than one ab workout to obtain a six pack.

    Instead, place your time on getting strong as well as toned with this 10-minute ab workout that focuses on the strength of your core and not just the "six pack ab muscles"!

    This workout is done in under 10 minutes and can easily be modified to suit your fitness level.

    Though it does require a resistance band, that can easily be replaced by a baby, a weight, a watermelon, or anything else you have hanging around!

    And hard tip, if you're worried about diastasis recti, know that there are a lot of modifications for the ab workout that are core-healing friendly. Learn more about how to heal diastasis recti years lady.

    10 Minute Ab Workout

    Parlof Press10 reps
    Body Saw Plank30 seconds
    Alternating Vup8-10 reps per side
    Side Planks30 seconds per side
    Rest30-40 seconds

    Perform each exercise back to back for the prescribed number of repetitions. Rest for thirty to forty seconds then repeat for a total of three rounds.

     

    Parlof Presses

    Perform ten repetitions of parlof presses on each side.

    1. Using a resistance band anchored to something and come into a standing position beside the anchor point with the band tight and held with both hands at chest height
    2. Keep a neutral body position
    3. Press the band away from the body
    4. Pause and resist the temptation to rotate towards the tension
    5. Return the band to the starting position at chest height and repeat.

    A wonderful exercise for the core muscles. The goal of this exercise is to prevent or resist rotation through the torso. To do this, your core muscles must work together to stabilize the torso.

    No equipment hack: don't have a band? Come into a half kneeling position, keep the torso upright and hug a baby or light weight to the chest. Then, maintaining that kneeling position, press the weight sway from the chest as far as you can without your low back arching. Bring it back in and repeat.

    Woman in orange pants and black sports bra performing a band press out (called a parlof press) while standing with a red strength band attached to a squat rack
    Woman in orange pants and black sporta bra in half kneeling position pressing a dumbbell out from her chest

    Body Saw Plank

    Perform this exercise for 30 seconds.

    1. Come onto your forearms and toes with your hips and tummy off the ground
    2. Contract all muscles in the body (squeeze the glutes, press the arms away from each other, fully extend the legs)
    3. Keep your hips in line or slightly below the shoulders.
    4. Slowly rock your upper body forward so that your shoulders come past your elbows. Then, push the body back so that the shoulders come behind the elbows.
    5. Move slowly and don't let the hips twist or the back arch.
    6. Keep rocking for thirty seconds.

    Intensity hack: do this on the floor with sliders under your feet or elevate your plank onto a swiss ball for extra stability. Can be done on hands or forearms.

    woman in blue pants and purple sports bra in a high plank position on a yoga mat with arrows and text about how to perform the exercise

    Alternating Vups

    Perform this exercise for 8-10 repetitions per leg

    1. Begin by laying on your back with your legs straight out.
    2. Use your abs to raise your upper body off the ground at the same time that you raise the left leg.
    3. Bring the body into a "V" position at the top with the hands by the left leg. Pause briefly.
    4. Slowly release the position with control and return to the starting position.
    5. Repeat the movement with the right leg.

    Note: as you release from the top, come into a bit of a posterior pelvic tilt, aiming to keep the low back slightly rounded and touching the ground. Do not arch the low back.

    Variation: if the vups are too much for you and you're feeling them in your low back, switch to lying leg raises instead. Similar to above, the lying leg raises can be done single leg as well for less intensity.

    Woman in orange pants and black sports bra reaching up from a laying down position to touch one of her toes in a V position

    Side Planks

    Perform this exercise for 30 seconds per side.

    1. Lay on your left side with your shoulders stacked and feet on top of each other
    2. Press into the floor and raise the hips off the ground
    3. Keep a straight line through the shoulders, hips, and feet. Keep the chest open
    4. Hold for thirty seconds. Release and repeat on the other side

    Intensity hack: want to step it up? Add hip dips or raise the top leg to make it harder! Likewise, keep the knees bent on the floor to regress the exercise and make it easier!

    Woman in sports bran and black pants performing a side plank with text and arrows to give points on form

    Other Wicked Fitness Tips & Home Workouts

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    • Dumbbell quad exercises you can do at home
    • Everything you need to know about home workouts
    • The best tricep exercises for women
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    • Why you should use pause rep training
    • 6 Week Fat Loss Plan At Home
    • 25+ At Home Workout Planks For Weight Loss
    • Follow-along at-home workouts
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    Fast, crave-worthy snacks that hit your protein goals (without tracking or extra cooking time).

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    Frequently Asked Questions About Ab Workouts At Home

    Is it okay to do a 10-minute workout every day?

    Though it's not the end of the world to hit ab muscles every day, it can create a muscle imbalance. I'd suggest using this 10-minute ab workout 3 times per week with some rest days in between.

    How many calories does a 10 minute ab workout burn?

    When it comes to calorie burn, much of this will depend on the bodyweight and fitness level of the person performing it. However, a 10-minute ab workout can burn anywhere from 50-100kcals.

    Pin image with text: two images, the top of a woman in orange pants and a sports bra in a half kneeling position pressing a dumbbell from her chest and the second a woman in blue pants and a sports bra in a plank position

      

    More Fitness Tips For Moms

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    Comments

    1. Julia says

      May 31, 2024 at 4:22 am

      Quick, effective, and easy to fit into my schedule, it's the perfect solution for busy days! I felt the burn in all the right places, and I love that I can squeeze in a solid workout without sacrificing too much time. Thanks for this amazing routine!

      Reply
      • fitasamamabear says

        June 02, 2024 at 9:28 am

        Quick and effective is definitely a staple for me1

        Reply
    2. Bailey says

      October 26, 2023 at 8:07 am

      As a busy mom, I love the quick and effective exercises that strengthen my core without the need for endless sit-ups. Shelby's expertise shines through, making fitness practical for every mom. A must-try for busy moms looking to enhance their core strength!

      Reply
      • fitasamamabear says

        October 26, 2023 at 11:07 am

        This makes my heart happy, thank you for the kind words!

        Reply

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    I'm Shelby, a Certified Strength & Nutrition Coach who has spent the last 10 years helping women feel more comfortable in their skin though home strength training and healthy food- no diets, no shortcuts

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