Core strengthening exercises for kids

30 Core strengthening exercises for kids at home

All of our movements are powered by our torso, or core—it is the body’s center of power.

The abdominal and back muscles work together to support the spine when we sit, stand, bend over, pick things up, and exercise.

So, it is important to train these muscles regularly to be fit.

In this article, For Kids introduces the top 30 core strengthening exercises for kids and beginners.

Try the following core workout routine at home or the gym to strengthen these muscles and to avoid back pain. How to perform this workout?

30 core strengthening exercises for beginners

1. Tabletop

Steps:

  1. Start out on all fours. Slide your right leg behind you and lift it to hip height.
  2. Do not sink into your left hip; keep your hips parallel with the floor.
  3. Slide your left arm out in front of you, keeping your palm facing the floor.
  4. Keep your head and neck in alignment with your spine.
  5. Lift your left arm to shoulder height. Hold the pose for 10 breaths.
  6. Slowly lower your arm and then your leg to the floor.

2. Ball Sit

Props: A large exercise ball for each participant.

Steps:

  1. Use the largest ball you have.
  2. Sit on ball with both feet flat on floor and with your head lifted.
  3. Lift one foot off the floor as high as you can, keeping the knee bent, and hold this position for 30 seconds.
  4. Slowly lower your foot and repeat with the other side.
Child with large exercise ball

3. Long Neck

Steps:

  1. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart, your arms at your sides, and your belly button pulled back toward your spine.
  2. Elongate your neck and imagine touching the top of your head to the ceiling, but keep your chin parallel to the floor.
  3. Rotate your shoulders back and down.
  4. Hold and breathe into this position for 30 seconds.

4. Modified Tree

Yoga is a great way to teach children to balance. Tree pose is a common yoga position. Want to know how to do this core strengthening exercise for kids? Read on…

Steps:

  1. From a standing position, shift your weight onto your right foot.
  2. Raise your left knee and place the bottom of your left foot on your right leg, at the ankle, calf, or knee.
  3. Hold your hands out to the sides for balance.
  4. Hold this position and count to 10 before returning to the starting position.
  5. Repeat the movement with the other leg.

Find more balancing exercises: Balance games for kids

5. Airplane

Challenge the children’s balance by asking them to place their body in a different “plane.”

Steps:

  1. From a standing position, raise your arms out to the side at shoulder level.
  2. Balancing on your right leg, swing your left leg behind your body.
  3. Bend at the waist. Hold this position and count to 10 before slowly coming back into a standing position.
  4. Repeat the movement with the other leg.

6. V Sit

Steps:

  1. Begin by sitting with your legs bent and your feet on the floor.
  2. Slowly straighten the right leg so the foot lifts off the floor.
  3. You should be balancing on your tailbone.
  4. Slowly straighten the left leg, too, so that both feet are off the floor.
  5. Your body should now look like the letter V.
  6. With your arms, you can grab your legs for support or remain out to the side for balance.
  7. Hold for a count of 10, return to the starting position, and repeat 3 times.

7. Pointer

Steps:

  1. Begin with hands and knees on the floor.
  2. Extend your right leg straight out behind your body, pointing your toes.
  3. Hold. Once you feel balanced, begin to move your right leg in a circle, being careful not to move any other part of your body, only your leg.
  4. Imagine if your toes are a crayon and you are drawing big circles and little circles.
  5. Draw 10 circles. Repeat the movement with the other side of the body 10 times.

8. Isolation Challenges

Steps:

  1. Stand with your arms straight out to your sides at shoulder height, palms down.
  2. Keeping your hips still, lift your rib cage and slide it side to side 20 times.

9. Twister

Steps:

  1. In a standing position, stretch your arms out to your sides at shoulder height.
  2. Twist your upper body to the left as far as possible; your head and neck should turn with your body.
  3. Then twist right. Don’t let your arms rotate the body; the torso should be doing the work with the arms just following.
  4. Repeat this movement 10 times.

10. Windmill

This is a fun one where the kids get to use their arms like a windmill. Here’s how to perform this workout.

Steps:

  1. Begin in a standing position with your feet farther than hip-distance apart and your arms stretched out to your sides at shoulder height.
  2. Twist your torso. Bending and twisting at your waist, bring your right arm to touch your left foot.
  3. Come back up to the starting position and repeat the movement on the other side.

11. Spine Extension

Steps:

  1. Lie on your stomach with your arms at your sides and place your chin on a mat.
  2. Imagine reaching out through the top of your head with a long neck as you lift your head off the floor.
  3. Hold the position and breathe before slowly lowering your head.
  4. Repeat 5 times.

12. Goal Post

Steps:

  1. Lie facedown. Rest your forehead on a small pillow if needed.
  2. Bend your arms to a 90-degree angle and lift them off the floor as high as you can.
  3. Holding your arms in the up position, breathe and count to 10 before slowly lowering them again.
  4. Repeat 5 times.

13. Bicycle

Steps:

  1. Sit on the floor, with knees bent. Lean back slightly.
  2. Bring your right knee toward your chest and extend your left foot out. Switch legs as if cycling.

14. Overhead Stretch

Steps:

  1. Begin in a standing position. Place your left hand on your hip.
  2. Straighten your right arm overhead and lean to your left side. Lean and hold the stretch.
  3. Change arms. Place right hand on hip. Bring your left arm up overhead and lean to your right side.
  4. Hold. Concentrate on stretching and lengthening the body.

15. Rock ’n Roll

Props: A small pillow for each participant

Steps:

  1. Lie on your back with your arms by your side and your knees in the air.
  2. Place a small pillow between your knees.
  3. Roll your knees toward your chest and then bring them back down to starting position.
  4. Repeat this movement 10 times.

16. Hula Hips

Steps:

  1. Stand with your hands on your waist and your feet wider than hip-distance apart.
  2. Circle your hips to the right several times. Reverse, circling your hips to the left several times.

17. Chop It Off

Steps:

  1. From a standing position with your arms overhead, squat and rotate your torso quickly by swinging both arms to one side.
  2. Your arms will be parallel to the ground as you rotate.
  3. Quickly stand up, swinging your arms back overhead, and repeat the exercise on the other side.

18. Child’s Pose

Steps:

  1. Kneel down. Keeping your neck in a neutral position, fold over at the waist and stretch your arms out in front of you.
  2. Relax and breathe. Use this posture whenever you need to rest from other yoga postures and remain in this posture until you feel ready to move on.
Child sleeping in child's pose

19. Superman on a Ball

Props: A large exercise ball for each participant

Steps:

  1. Place your body facedown over the ball, with your feet touching the floor and your arms overhead.
  2. Lift up your right arm with your left leg, hold, and breathe for 15 seconds.
  3. Slowly lower that arm and leg and repeat the exercise with your other side.

20. Pelvic Tilt on a Ball

Props:

A large exercise ball for each participant

Steps:

  1. Sit on the center of the ball.
  2. Align your knees over your ankles and place your legs hip-width apart.
  3. Pull in your belly button, curl your tailbone forward, and let the ball roll slightly forward under your bottom.
  4. Push back the tailbone and roll the ball back.
  5. Repeat 10 times.

21. Trunk Twists

Props:

A small-to medium-size ball for each participant

Steps:

  1. Sit with your knees bent and together, your feet apart for balance, and a ball between your hands.
  2. Lean back at a 45-degree angle, halfway between sitting up straight and lying down.
  3. Hold the ball in front of you, arms extended.
  4. Looking at the ball, move it from side to side by twisting your upper body 20 times.

22. Hip Swivels

Props:

A small-to medium-size ball for each participant

Steps:

  1. Lie on your back with your knees up and pointing toward the ceiling, arms on the floor extending away from the body.
  2. Put a ball between your knees. Slowly rotate your hips from one side to the other, allowing your legs to touch lightly on the floor 20 times.

23. Tummy Twists

Steps:

  1. Lie on your back and lift your knees toward your chest.
  2. Stretch your arms out at shoulder height on each side of your body.
  3. Keeping knees together, slowly lower both knees toward the right side.
  4. Do not let your knees touch the ground and do not let your hips come off the ground.
  5. Hold in the lowest position.
  6. Breathe, count to 5, and slowly return knees to the middle.
  7. Now, slowly lower both knees toward the left side.
  8. Hold, breathe, count to 5, and slowly return to the middle.

24. Seated Knee to Chest

Props:

A chair for each participant

Steps:

  1. Sit up straight in a chair, with your feet on the floor.
  2. Place your hands on the sides of the chair seat.
  3. Slowly raise a knee and bring it as close to your chest as you can, and hold this position for 15 seconds.
  4. Be sure you are still sitting up tall in the chair. Slowly return your foot to the floor and repeat 10 times.
  5. Then repeat the exercise 10 times with your other leg.

25. T-Shape

Steps:

  1. Lie facedown with your arms forward, spread open at chest level.
  2. Keep your toes, knees, and hips touching the ground.
  3. Squeeze your shoulder blades together at your mid-back; raise your arms slightly off the ground.
  4. Keep your elbows bent and your palms facing the ground.
  5. Hold and breathe for 10 seconds. Release and repeat.

26. Sit Ups

Divide the group into pairs or have the kids choose partners.

Steps:

  1. Have your partner sit on the floor with her knees bent and her arms crossed across her chest.
  2. Place your hands on her ankles. The sitting partner will lower her upper body to the floor, exhale, and slowly come back up to a seated position.
  3. If this is too difficult for either partner, go only halfway down.
  4. Each of you should do as many repetitions as you can and then switch roles.

27. Reverse Crunches

Steps:

  1. Lie on your back and lift your knees toward your chest.
  2. Keep your arms flat by your sides. Pull your belly button back toward your spine and roll your hips a couple of inches off the floor.
  3. Breathe and repeat 10 times.

28. Double Leg Pull

Steps:

  1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
  2. Slide your bottom under so your lower back is pressed against the floor.
  3. Raise your shoulders and hug your knees to your chest.
  4. Now raise both of your arms overhead while extending your legs straight out and keeping your back flat.
  5. Pause and breathe and then return to the starting position. Do as many as you can.

29. Roll Like a Ball

Steps:

  1. Sit on the floor and hug your knees to your chest.
  2. Balance on your tailbone and lift your feet. Pull your stomach muscles in and roll back onto your lower back.
  3. Immediately roll back up onto your tailbone and balance.
  4. Repeat 10 times.

30. Superman Hold

Divide the group into pairs or have the children choose partners. Here’s how to perform this exercise.

Steps:

  1. Have your partner lie on the floor facedown with arms and legs stretched out.
  2. Grab your partner’s ankles and have him slowly lift his upper body off of the floor.
  3. Have him hold this position for 3 seconds before lowering to repeat.
  4. Each partner should do as many repetitions as they can and then switch roles.

Core strengthening exercises for kids video

There are a lot of benefits of exercise for kids and adults. One of those benefits is to strengthen body muscles.

Try to vary between strengthening exercises. For the upper body, core muscles as in the previous workouts, and the lower body, to make all muscle groups stronger.

image 2: Michael Coghlan; image 3: dolanh