Improve Core Stability: 5 Exercises and a Practical Training Plan

Train your trunk with better control. Clear exercise instructions, manageable progression and evidence-informed guidance on back pain.

By Roel van den Bogaard, personal trainer and founder of Aurora Personal Training in Eindhoven.

You can improve core stability by training your trunk and applying that control during movement. Dead bugs, bird dogs, Pallof presses, side planks and suitcase carries are practical options. Start with two short sessions per week and gradually increase the difficulty.

Want to feel more controlled during squats, lift with greater confidence or strengthen your trunk? A clear plan helps.

Below, you will learn what core stability means, how to perform five exercises and what you can expect from core training if you have back pain.

What is core stability?

Core stability is the ability to control your trunk and pelvis while moving or producing force. Your abdominal and back muscles work alongside your diaphragm, pelvic floor and muscles around your hips.

The control required varies between activities. A heavy squat demands more trunk tension than walking. During a rotational movement, you may need to allow and control movement rather than prevent it.

You do not need to keep your abdominal muscles braced all day.

There are three abilities you can train:

  • Strength: producing force with your trunk muscles.
  • Endurance: maintaining or repeating that effort.
  • Control: adapting your movement and muscle tension to the task.

A long plank mainly shows how long you can hold that particular position. It does not tell you everything about how your trunk functions during walking, lifting or sport.

Trainer demonstreert een uitvalspas met een gewicht voor de borst

Can improving core stability help with back pain?

Core training can form part of an approach to lower back pain. However, back pain does not automatically mean your core is weak.

Often, no single clear cause can be identified. Training demands, recovery and psychosocial factors may also play a role.

A Cochrane review of chronic lower back pain concluded that exercise therapy probably reduces pain compared with no treatment, usual care or placebo. Another Cochrane review found no clinically important advantage of motor control exercise over other forms of exercise.

Targeted trunk training can therefore be a useful option, while other forms of movement and exercise can also be valuable.

The WHO guideline for chronic primary lower back pain emphasises an individual approach that may combine exercise, education and other appropriate care.

The exercises below are intended for general training. If you have persistent back pain or are unsure which demands are appropriate for you, speak to a physiotherapist or GP.

5 exercises to improve core stability

Choose a variation that allows controlled movement and comfortable breathing. Brace your trunk sufficiently for the exercise without straining maximally.

Start with an easier variation. You do not need to perform all five exercises immediately.

1. Dead bug: trunk control while your arms and legs move

  1. Lie on your back. Reach your arms upwards and bend your hips and knees to approximately 90 degrees.
  2. Gently engage your abdominal muscles and keep your pelvis steady.
  3. Slowly move one arm overhead and extend the opposite leg forwards.
  4. Stop before your lower back noticeably arches further. Return to the starting position and switch sides.

Starting point: 6–8 repetitions per side at a controlled pace.

Easier variation: keep your arms still and alternately tap one heel towards the floor. Reduce the movement range if needed.

Technique tip: reaching the floor is not the goal. Choose a range you can control.

2. Bird dog: controlling rotation and excessive arching

  1. Start on your hands and knees, with your hands beneath your shoulders and knees beneath your hips.
  2. Reach one arm forwards and the opposite leg backwards.
  3. Keep your pelvis as steady as possible and look towards the floor.
  4. Pause for 2–3 seconds, return and switch sides.

Starting point: 6 repetitions per side.

Easier variation: move only an arm, or slide one foot backwards while keeping your toes on the floor.

Technique tip: reach out rather than up. Lifting your leg high can encourage extra movement through your lower back.

3. Pallof press: resisting rotation

  1. Secure a resistance band at chest height, or use a cable machine.
  2. Stand side-on to the anchor point. Hold the band or handle with both hands in front of your chest.
  3. Slowly press your hands forwards while keeping your chest and pelvis facing ahead.
  4. Pause briefly, then bring your hands back. Repeat on the other side.

Starting point: 8–10 repetitions per side.

Easier variation: reduce the resistance or keep your hands closer to your chest.

Technique tip: your arms move while your trunk resists the sideways pull. Reduce the resistance if you repeatedly rotate towards the anchor point.

4. Side plank: training the side of your trunk

  1. Lie on your side, supporting yourself on your forearm with your elbow beneath your shoulder.
  2. Bend your knees and lift your hips off the floor.
  3. Keep your shoulders, hips and knees approximately in line.
  4. Continue breathing comfortably, then lower your hips with control.

Starting point: 15–25 seconds per side. Start with a shorter hold if needed.

Harder variation: straighten your legs and support yourself on your feet once the bent-knee version feels manageable.

Technique tip: finish the set when your position changes noticeably. You do not need to chase a several-minute plank record.

5. Suitcase carry: trunk control while walking

  1. Hold a light dumbbell or kettlebell beside your body in one hand.
  2. Stand upright and look ahead.
  3. Walk with controlled steps, avoiding a pronounced lean to either side.
  4. Put the weight down with control and switch hands.

Starting point: 20–30 seconds per side.

Easier variation: use a lighter weight or begin by standing still.

Technique tip: leave enough space to walk freely. The weight should be challenging without substantially changing your walking pattern.

A practical core stability plan for beginners

Use this as a starting point for two sessions per week, such as Monday and Thursday.

Allow approximately 10–15 minutes per session, depending on your pace and rest periods.

Session Exercise Starting amount
A Dead bug 1–2 sets of 6–8 repetitions per side
A Pallof press 1–2 sets of 8–10 repetitions per side
A Side plank 1–2 sets of 15–25 seconds per side
B Bird dog 1–2 sets of 6 repetitions per side
B Suitcase carry 1–2 sets of 20–30 seconds per side
B Dead bug 1–2 sets of 6–8 repetitions per side

Rest for approximately 30–60 seconds between sets, or longer if you need it.

One set is enough to begin learning a new exercise. Add a second set when you can control the technique and recover well.

How to make the exercises harder

When an exercise becomes easy, increase one element at a time:

  • A few more repetitions.
  • A slightly longer hold or carry.
  • A larger controlled movement.
  • A small increase in resistance.

Keep the execution comparable so you can assess progress.

Read our explanation of progressive overload for more guidance on gradually increasing training demands.

Sporter houdt een kettlebell voor zich terwijl een trainer aanwijzingen geeft

How do you apply core stability during strength training?

Your core also works during squats, deadlifts, rows and presses.

Dedicated trunk exercises can complement this training. Continue practising the strength movements themselves with an appropriate load.

  • During squats and deadlifts: establish trunk tension before starting the repetition and choose a weight you can move with control.
  • During presses: choose a variation that allows you to press without leaning further and further backwards.
  • During rows and lunges: focus on the intended movement. Reduce the weight if you mainly swing or rotate to complete the repetition.

You can include one light core exercise in your warm-up. A more demanding core block can go after your main strength exercises, allowing you to start those lifts without unnecessary fatigue.

If a movement is difficult, consider the range of motion it requires too. Having movement available and being able to control it are related but different abilities.

Core training when you work at a desk

A short core workout can fit around your working day. Combine it with regularly standing up, walking and changing position.

Simply bracing your abdominal muscles while remaining seated for hours is not a complete movement plan.

Keep it practical:

  • Walk during a phone call.
  • Get up to make your own coffee.
  • Schedule your two training sessions in advance.
  • Choose habits you can maintain during busy weeks.

A manageable routine is easier to repeat than a demanding plan that only fits into an ideal week.

Trainer begeleidt een sporter bij een voorovergebogen dumbbelloefening

Frequently asked questions about core stability

How do I know whether my core is weak?

There is no single home test that establishes this for every activity.

Difficulty holding a plank tells you something about that exercise. Back pain does not diagnose a weak core.

Focus on the task you want to improve and how you can gradually develop your ability to perform it.

Are crunches and sit-ups bad exercises?

No. They can train your abdominal muscles.

Which exercises suit you depends on your goals, experience and any symptoms. Combining movements, holds and exercises that resist rotation allows you to train different abilities.

Should I train my core every day?

That is usually unnecessary. Two short sessions per week are a practical starting point alongside your other training.

Adjust additional sessions to the demands of your overall programme and your recovery.

How quickly will I notice results?

This varies between people and goals.

Over several weeks, record whether you can perform the same exercise with better control, complete more repetitions and recover comfortably.

Assess progress through those specific changes. There is no fixed timeline for back pain to disappear.

When should I have back pain assessed?

Have persistent or worsening symptoms assessed by a GP or physiotherapist.

Stop an exercise that causes sharp or radiating pain, tingling or loss of sensation.

If back pain occurs with sudden loss of strength in a leg, numbness around your groin or saddle area, difficulty passing urine, or loss of bladder or bowel control, contact your GP or out-of-hours medical service immediately.

You can also read the Thuisarts guidance on lower back pain. This resource is in Dutch.

Core stability training at Aurora Personal Training in Eindhoven

Want to understand which exercises suit your strength training and everyday activities?

At Aurora Personal Training, we combine targeted trunk exercises with strength training, mobility work and gradual progression.

In our private studio in Eindhoven, you receive personal guidance on technique and choosing appropriate resistance. We adapt the training to your experience, goals and available time.

If you have symptoms that require medical assessment, a GP or physiotherapist is the appropriate first step.

Book a free intake at Aurora Personal Training to discuss how core training can become a consistent part of your programme.

Sources

  • Hayden et al. (2021). Exercise therapy for chronic low back pain. Cochrane.
  • Saragiotto et al. (2016). Motor control exercise for chronic non-specific low-back pain. Cochrane.
  • World Health Organization (2023). Guideline on chronic primary low back pain.
  • Thuisarts. Ik heb pijn in mijn onderrug. Dutch-language patient information.

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