If You Have a Weak Core, Trainers Say These Are the 12 Strength Moves You Need to Do, Stat

Stir the pot "is essentially a dynamic version of the plank that works more core muscles in a shorter amount of time," Richard told POPSUGAR. It activates the same supportive core muscles as a plank but adds movement, passing the workload to different muscle groups. "This is essentially an exercise that works six different core muscle groups in one," Richard said.

• Begin in an elbow plank with your forearms resting on the top of a ball.
• Keeping your core strong and your body still, use your arms to roll the ball in a small clockwise circle. This completes one rep.

"A weak core is often associated with weak glutes," Jaime told POPSUGAR. "This is a perfect exercise you can do anywhere to help strengthen the backside and, in turn, get a stronger core."

• On your mat, lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Be sure to keep your feet underneath your knees, not in front. Plant your palms by each side, facing down.
• Press through your heels to raise your hips up to the ceiling, tensing your abs and squeezing your butt as you do. You should be making a long diagonal line with your body, from shoulders to knees.
• Hold for a few seconds, making sure your spine doesn't round and your hips don't sag. Keep your abs and butt muscles engaged.
• Lower down to the ground. This is one rep.

The Pallof Press challenges your obliques to resist rotation, said Cara. "This is a core stabilization exercise that helps train the entire body to protect the back when doing bigger movements, such as squats or even running," Cara told POPSUGAR.

• Lower the carriage of a cable machine so that it's about chest height, and attach a D-handle to the pulley (or keep the ropes on for efficiency sake). Adjust the weight so that it's at 10 pounds. If this is too heavy or too light, feel free to change the weight.
• Standing with the left side of your body closest to the machine, grab the handle with both hands and take two or three steps out so that there's tension on the cable. Hold your hands at your sternum, and make sure that your body is square. If you feel like you're getting pulled to the left, this is an indicator that you should lighten the weight.
• On an exhale, press the cable straight out in front of your body. Be sure not to rotate toward the machine. Hold for two seconds before returning to the starting position. This counts as one rep.
• Do 10 reps each side.

"Dead bugs help with core stability," said Morgan Reese, an ACE-certified personal trainer in LA. This exercise improves your ability to move other parts of your body (like your legs and arms) while the core stays stable and engaged.

• Lie on the floor with knees bent at 90 degrees and your feet lifted off the floor.
• Extend your arms up toward the ceiling.
• Reach back with your right arm and out with your left leg. Keep your lower back flat on the floor.
• Pause, then return to the starting position.
• Repeat on the other side. This completes one rep.

Pilates 100s challenge every part of your core, said Daniela Caesar-Roden, a certified Pilates Teacher at Old School Pilates. Lifting your head engages your abs, pumping your arms and stabilizing engages your back muscles, and your pelvic floor and glutes are working to support your legs. "The focus on breath throughout this exercise engages the diaphragm, which stabilizes the core from the inside out, especially on the deep exhalations," added Daniela.

• Start lying on your back with your legs in tabletop position (hips and knees at right angles). Engage your deep abs to round your lower spine into the floor. Make sure you are not "pooching" your abs, which means you are just working the top layer of abs, which is a Pilates no-no.
• Exhale and lift your upper back off the floor, until the bottom tips of your shoulder blades skim the floor. Straighten your legs to a 45-degree angle (but make sure your low back is staying connected to the floor). Reach your arms toward your feet. Your arms will be about two inches off the floor.
• Pump your arms up and down with a small range of motion, keeping your elbows straight. Inhale for five arm pumps, and exhale for five pumps. That completes one set or cycle. Over time, work your way up to 10 cycles.

"This is the king of core exercises," said Kim Evans, ACE, personal trainer and fitness coordinator at Spring Lake Fitness and Aquatic Center. "The core is designed to stabilize and this one exercise does that." Added Amy Jordan, ACE-certified trainer and founder of Wundabar, "Planks tone your core and everything else too! They create long, lean lines and flatten the abdomen rather than shortening like crunches can do."

• Get face down on the floor resting on your forearms and knees.
• Push off the floor, raising up off your knees onto your toes and resting mainly on your elbows.
• Contract your abdominals to keep yourself up and prevent your booty from sticking up. Keep your back flat and glutes tight.
• Hold as long as you can. Aim for 20 to 30 seconds in the beginning, and work your way up to one minute as you get stronger.

"This is one of my favorite moves as you're targeting your obliques while not putting additional pressure on your spine by crunching," said NASM-certified personal trainer Holly Roser.

• Begin by lying on your left side. Bring your left elbow directly under your left shoulder. Place your top foot on top or in front of your bottom foot.
• Push your hips upward to rise into side elbow plank, keeping your core and lower shoulder muscle engaged.
• Hold while focusing on your breathing.

Johnathan Smith, AAAI/ISMA-certified personal trainer and founder of iRobotFit recommended double leg lifts because they're "simple, effective, and can be done anywhere," he told POPSUGAR. This move targets your ab muscles in particular.

• Lay flat on the ground with your legs extended straight up toward the ceiling. Place your hands underneath the back of your head.
• For added stability, place your arms out to your side, allowing the palms to grip the floor.
• Pressing your lower back into the ground, slowly lower both legs down toward the floor.
• Slowly raise them back up. If this is too difficult, lower them as much as you can, or lower one leg at a time.
• This counts as one rep.