Are you sick of core workouts that include planks? Planks aren't the most exciting of exercises, and unless you have the best yoga mat under you, they're not comfortable on your elbows. Fortunately, this five-minute standing abdominal workout can help strengthen your core and tighten the muscles in your groin. The fact that it can be done in a short amount of time is appealing, but since it requires no equipment whatsoever, you can do it when you don't have time, when going to the gym is too much of a hassle, or when you are traveling. All you need is to wear comfortable activewear so that you can move freely through each exercise. The exercises, by fitness trainer Michelle Bleiler, work the core muscles while exercising with the feet instead of lying on the ground. The feet only touch directly in this routine, but you may want to place a mat underneath for support.

The brailer demonstrates the entire routine so that you can follow along and perfect the technique for each move. This is perfect for those who like the atmosphere of an instructor-led class, but can do it from the comfort of their own home. She spends 30 seconds on each move, with no breaks!

Breiller's mixed standing exercises are designed to target the abdominal and oblique muscles, but the entire core must be worked throughout the routine to maintain stability and balance.

Many strength training exercises include short breaks between movements, but this is not the case. This is because abdominal exercises typically use smaller muscle groups that recover more quickly than larger muscle groups like the back and legs. They are also structured to continually tense the core muscles in order to increase stamina and stability of the midline muscles.

Additionally, less rest time helps keep the heart rate elevated, leading to long-term benefits such as increased metabolism (the rate at which energy is expended throughout the day). This can support both fat loss and muscle growth.

Increasing metabolism can also be beneficial if the goal is to develop well-defined muscles in the torso, such as a six-pack. Developing well-defined muscles in the abdomen requires targeted training, such as Breiller's abdominal-specific training, and reducing abdominal body fat.

However, fat loss cannot be focused on one specific area, so other styles of exercise, such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and running (if you need new running shoes, see our list of best running shoes) worth incorporating into your fitness routine.

Don't forget that fat loss is also influenced by lifestyle habits such as diet, genetics, rest, and sleep duration. Whatever your fitness goals are, if you enjoy the exercise you are doing and feel good afterwards, keep at it! I hope you find this standing abdominal workout enjoyable.