This 5 Minute Core Abs Home Workout is Powerful

You know what counts? The core. You may not know it, but virtually any movement your body makes supports your core.

You know what counts? The core. You may not know it, but virtually any movement your body makes supports your core.

We promote core training, not for the esthetic purposes that you can find plastering around movie posters and in other fitness magazines, but because a solid and stable core is vital to a viable, safe and happy living. Don't trust us? Try to do the things in your life that will bring you happiness without using your heart. Reaching for one extra pizza slice? You use the heart of it! We just want a good center for you, so you can eat more pizza.

Fortunately for you, no matter where you are or what your schedule is, it's easy to slip in a core workout. You may think you 're tremendously busy––and we believe you––but you've got five minutes to spare. Heck, maybe you're not even breaking a sweat doing this workout, but you're sure to get the rewards –-like eating more pizza.

5-minute Core Abs Workout

Finish one round of the following exercises, executing the movements as quickly as possible without sacrificing form.

Plank Rockers (30 seconds)

1. Place your hands directly under your shoulders on the concrete, your legs straight behind, your feet together and your toes curled underneath
2. Strengthen each muscle to keep your body straight from the head through top heels and parallel to the floor
3. Move forward on the feet over the fingertips
4. Rock back to start for one rep

Mountain Climbers Variate (30 seconds)

1. Place your hands on the floor directly under your arms.
2. Tense through muscle to hold the body from the head through heels in a straight line at all times
3. Pull the right knee in the direction of the chest, then back down the right foot
4. Move the right leg to the outside of the right arm and return to the right foot.
5. Repeat to the left to complete a rep.

Planks Hip Dips (30 seconds)

1. Place the elbows on the floor parallel to the forearms just below the shoulders, then curl the toes underneath and fall to the forearm.
2. Tighten each muscle to keep the body straight from head to knee
3. Drop slowly right hip to bottom, return to start position, then repeat with left hip

Side Planks Twists (right) (30 seconds)

1. Lie on your right side with your right forearm stacked directly under your shoulder on the floor, hips, and feet
2. Raise hips off the ground so that the body forms a straight line from head to toe
3. Lift hips with left arm bent as high as possible, elbow over the shoulder
4. Hold the body straight and hit the right arm beneath, twist the legs and touch the two toes
5. Return to starting place to complete a rep.

Side Planks Twists (left) (30 seconds)

1. Lie on your left side with your left forearm stacked directly under your shoulder on the floor, hips, and feet
2. Raise hips off the ground so that the body forms a straight line from head to toe
3. Keep right arm bent, elbow over the shoulder, raise hips as high as possible
4. Hold the body straight and hit the right arm beneath, twist the legs and touch the two toes
5. Return to starting place to complete a repeat

Swimmer Style (30 seconds)

1. Lay flat on your stomach
2. Lift hands and feet off the floor, palms opposite each other
3. At the same time, raise your left hand and right foot higher, while your right and left foot drop below
4. Alternate sides and repeat again

Panther Holds (30 seconds)

1. Begin on the floor with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips
2. Curl the toes under the feet to lift the knees several inches off the table.
3. Keep for a defined time, breathe deeply