Your trunk muscles are working harder than you think. Every time you get out of bed, carry the shopping or pick something up off the floor, your core muscles are engaged to get you moving and keep you stable.

What is Your Trunk?

Your trunk includes all the muscles around your mid-section -

• Abdominals (at the front.)

• Lower back muscles (at the rear.)

• Obliques (at the side.)

• Stabilising muscles throughout.

Think of your trunk as your body's natural support belt that holds everything together, protecting your spine and generating power. It’s key for all sorts of everyday activities - bending down to pick your kids up, lifting a heavy box and even just standing up from a chair. Without good trunk strength, you're more likely to suffer from back pain and poor posture.

The good news? You don't need expensive gym memberships or complicated exercises to build better trunk strength. This can be achieved easily with home gym equipment. The weights given in this trunk workout are purely illustrative - make sure you decrease or increase the weights enough that you feel challenged, but can still maintain a good exercise form.

Trunk Strengthening Workout

1 - Good Mornings

Equipment - Single dumbbell or a lightweight technique barbell.

Reps - 3 sets of 8-12 reps.

Benefits - Good mornings strengthen your lower back and teach you how to hinge properly at the hips, something you do more times than you think throughout the day.

• Hold a light dumbbell behind your neck with both hands.

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.

• Hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back straight.

• Slowly continue your way down until you feel a stretch at the back of your legs.

• Return to standing by driving your hips forward.

2 - Planks

Equipment - None.

Reps - 2-3 sets of 20-60 second holds.

Benefits - The plank is a brilliant core exercise. It builds endurance across your whole trunk and helps your muscles to work together.

• Start in a push-up position with forearms on the floor.

• Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels - don’t let your hips dip down or pike up.

• As you get stronger, you can have light weight plates added on your back or wear a 10kg Weighted Vest.

3 - Russian Twists

Equipment - Single dumbbell or kettlebell.

Reps - 2-3 sets of 12-20 twists.

Benefits - Russian twists target the muscles down your sides (external obliques). These help when you rotate your body, for example when you get out of a car or stretch for something.

• Sit on the floor, knees bent and feet flat.

• Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell with both hands.

• Lean back slightly, hovering your feet off the floor and keeping your back straight.

• Twist to the side, touching the weight on the floor near your hip, then twist to the other side.

4 - Crunches

Equipment - None (can optionally hold a 12kg Dumbbell against your chest.)

Reps - 2 sets of 15-20 reps.

Benefits - The classic crunch strengthens your front abdominal muscles - nice to show on the beach and good for helping you sit up.

• Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat.

• Place hands behind your head or hold a weight to your chest.

• Squeeze your abs and lift your shoulder blades off the floor - focus on bringing your ribs towards your hips.

• Lower back down with control.

5 - Farmer's Walk

Equipment - Pair of dumbbells or 12kg Kettlebells.

Reps - 3 sets of 20-40 meters.

Benefits - The farmer's walk is one of the most practical trunk exercises you can do - you’re basically picking up and walking with something heavy in each hand.

• Grab a dumbbell or kettlebell in each hand and stand up.

• Keep the weights by your side and walk for 20-40 metres (depending on your space, you can do shuttle walks to build up the metres.)

These five exercises will work your trunk from all angles - the front, back and sides. Whether you're playing with your kids, working in the garden or just going through life, a strong trunk will help you move better and feel better.

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Tags: Equipment > Dumbbells ; Equipment > Kettlebells ; Exercise Type > Strength ; Misc > Workout