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Your core was designed for more than just flexing and extending the spine repeatedly, after all.

Still got sit-ups in your core routine?

a photo of a strong woman with dumbbells

Its time to get creative with your exercises and STOP doing crunches, says fitness coachCaroline Idiens.

Pick up a set of thebest adjustable dumbbellsand grab a timer.

What is the dumbbell abs workout?

a photo of a woman with strong abs

Perform each move for 50 seconds, taking just 10 seconds of rest between each one.

Complete all the moves, and then you’re done.

That’s right eight minutes of pure midsection joy with no sit-ups in sight.

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It’s excellent for building overall core strength and stability.

Scissor kicks

Scissor kickstarget your abs and lower back, while challenging your stability.

It’s an excellent way to build core strength and endurance.

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Toe reach

Toe reachesengage your core through spinal flexion while also stretching the hamstrings.

The key is to use your abdominals to lift your upper body and touch your toes.

Low plank knee taps

Like all plank variations, lowplank knee tapstarget your core and upper body.

Ativafit

Oblique crunch

This exercise combines a twist and leg extension to target your obliques and lower abdominals.

Your core must stabilize your body as you move from side to side.

This move will also work your hip flexors and improve coordination.

woman doing side plank exercise

These functional movements will enhance strength and mobility, challenging your stability and core control.

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