This 10-Minute Standing Ab Workout Is a Low-Impact Alternative to Crunches

Bouncy plank jacks and painful crunches aren’t the only exercises that strengthen your abs. Presented by Allegra, this entire ab series is done while standing. Whether you’re working out on the go, or trying to build core strength without the added stress on your joints, this low-impact ab workout is the perfect solution. Class Fitsugar trainer Nikki Nie leads you through each movement using only your bodyweight (although you can always add more weight for an extra challenge), so prepare to feel the burn in just 10 minutes.

The workout is broken up into two rounds with 30 seconds per move and zero built-in rest time. You’ll start the first round strong with standing side bends, reaching down the legs and activating the obliques and the transverse abdominal (aka deep core muscles). Next up are oblique twists. Here, you’ll raise your knee up and across your body towards the opposite elbow, following up with lifted knee drives, pike kicks, tilted sumo squats, and press twists. “Could you get punched in the gut right now and still be OK?” Nie asks mid-twist, checking to see if you’re engaging your core. “That’s the vibe we want right now.”

Once you’ve finished the first 5-minute round, you’ll repeat the entire block from the beginning (with no rest in between). “Then that’s it. Just like that, you got your abs done,” Nie says. “Low-impact [so] it’s not going to mess up your joints.” To her point, low-impact exercises — like the ones in this workout — tend to be more gentle and beginner-friendly. Try it out yourself and check out new workouts every week on the POPSUGAR Fitness YouTube channel.

Chandler Plante is an assistant editor for POPSUGAR Health & Fitness. Previously, she worked as an editorial assistant for People magazine and contributed to Ladygunn, Millie, and Bustle Digital Group. In her free time, she overshares on the internet, creating content about chronic illness, beauty, and disability.