Tropical Weight Loss
Photo by João Vítor Heinrichs Pexels Logo Photo: João Vítor Heinrichs

How many minutes of abs should I do a day?

"If you're going to the gym two to three times per week, I suggest doing 5 to 10 minutes of ab or core work during your workout. Then, give yourself a day of rest in between workout days," he says. Yes, your abs need time to recover just like the rest of your body.

Which exercise is best for slim waist?
Which exercise is best for slim waist?

14 best waist exercises Side plank. a) Lean on the right side of your body in a straight line from your head to your feet, with your arm bent and...

Read More »
Can Vyvanse cause rapid weight loss?
Can Vyvanse cause rapid weight loss?

Vyvanse is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of moderate to severe binge eating disorder (B.E.D.) in adults. Vyvanse is not for weight...

Read More »

I f your workout is f your workout is never complete without a few core exercises , you're not alone—it's not uncommon to treat your abs as a muscle group you should work daily. But if your arms and legs get days off, shouldn't your core, too? According to Nate Feliciano , CFSC, CES, owner and head of training at Studio 16 in New York City, there's really no need for putting ab exercises on your daily workout schedule. The most important thing to remember about working your abs is that they should be treated like other muscles in the body. "Your abs shouldn’t be trained to the point of extreme exhaustion each day. It becomes dangerous or counter-productive if you’re still training abs while you’re sore," says Feliciano. "Other muscles like your lower back will end up doing most of the work during ab exercises when you’re sore, and that will increase the risk of injury." While Feliciano doesn't advise doing a heavy core workout every day that's only going to do more harm than good, there is a way you can train your abs on a daily basis without any negative consequences. Doing just a little core work each time you workout is totally fine. "If you’re going to the gym two to three times per week, I suggest doing 5 to 10 minutes of ab or core work during your workout. Then, give yourself a day of rest in between workout days," he says. Yes, your abs need time to recover just like the rest of your body.

Here's a quickie ab workout to try:

Now, a few minutes of ab exercises a few times a week might seem like nothing compared to what you've been doing. But the reason why your abs require little workout time is because when you're working out regularly, you're probably already working your core enough without even realizing it. "Many exercises you do in your other workouts will be training the core as well, so you don’t need to do abs or core for too long at the end of your workout," he says. Plus, by cross-training and not just limiting yourself to one ab workout after another, you'll always be challenging yourself, won't plateau or overwork your body, and will never get bored of your routine.

Related Stories

Aside from limiting your ab-focused workouts, you can also switch up your exercises day-to-day by focusing on different parts of your core. "Split it up by doing obliques and serratus anterior one one day, and then lower and upper abs another day," he says. "And always do them after your workout, because you don’t want to exhaust your core before doing other exercises." Sometimes less is more, and when it comes to your abs, that's definitely true.

This ab workout specifically focuses on your lower abs:



Oh hi! You look like someone who loves free workouts, discounts for cult-fave wellness brands, and exclusive Well+Good content. Sign up for Well+, our online community of wellness insiders, and unlock your rewards instantly.

Why is it extremely hard for me to lose weight?
Why is it extremely hard for me to lose weight?

Why Is It So Hard to Lose Weight? Your body is designed to hold onto as much fat as possible to store for times when food may be scarce. That makes...

Read More »
Can eating too little cause weight gain?
Can eating too little cause weight gain?

Eating too few calories can be the start of a vicious cycle that causes diet distress. When you cut your calories so low that your metabolism slows...

Read More »

Does a 2 mile walk count as exercise?
Does a 2 mile walk count as exercise?

Yes it is. As seen above, this incredibly underrated exercise does more than just get you out of the house. Walking 2 miles a day is a great weight...

Read More »
What stage of sleep burns the most calories?
What stage of sleep burns the most calories?

rapid eye movement (REM) sleep The most energy-intensive sleep stage is rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. During REM sleep, our heart rate increases...

Read More »
Does aspartame cause hair loss?
Does aspartame cause hair loss?

While researchers are not sure how the process works specifically, they do know that aspartame can cause this toxin to impact the health of hair...

Read More »
Do you feel hungry when your body is burning fat?
Do you feel hungry when your body is burning fat?

Hunger hormone increases when dieting When we lose weight, the stomach releases greater amounts of a hormone called ghrelin. This hormone makes us...

Read More »