Every time you do something even if it’s just a laugh, cough, or picking up grocery bags you’re engaging your core muscles, so it becomes essential to train your core muscles. Here are the 10 best core exercises to train your core and build up that six-pack abs. They also help maintain balance, posture & stability, so training and strengthening your core muscles becomes essential.
Best Core Exercises for Beginners:
Plank:
Plank is one of the best core exercises a person can do. It primarily targets your abdominals and core muscles. The level of difficulty can be modified by extending your elbows & protracting your shoulders.
Steps:
- Begin in a plank position, place your hands directly under your shoulders.
- Lift your body off the ground keep your torso straight and squeeze your core muscles.
- Try to hold it for 30 seconds or as long as possible, as you progress further you can increase the time duration.
Reverse Crunches:
The reverse crunches are considered the best core exercise for beginners as they build up a solid foundation & basic strength for unlocking other advanced moves and skills.
Steps:
- Lie on your back, knees together, legs bent to 90 degrees, and feet placed on the floor.
- For added support, place your palms face down on the floor.
- Tighten your core and crunch your knees inward to your chest to lift your hips off the floor.
- Pause for a second at the peak before lowering back down without letting your lower back to arch and lose contact with the floor.
Russian Twist:
Russian Twist targets the internal & external obliques, if you want a robust core, you must train your obliques. It’s the best core exercise for a beginner to build solid core strength for many advanced moves and skills.
Steps:
- Your hands should be placed close to your chest as you sit with your knees bent and your feet firmly on the floor.
- Sit back and maintain your spine straight.
- Exhale as you rotate to the left and punch your right arm to the side.
- Inhale back to the centre, then repeat on the opposite side.
Best Core Exercises for Intermediates:
Plank Shoulder taps:
It primarily focuses on core muscles and arms, glutes and shoulder muscles are also engaged in the process. It’s one of the best core exercises for intermediate athletes & can be performed anywhere.
Steps:
- Start in a plank position with your wrist under your shoulder and your feet hip-width apart.
- Touch your right shoulder with your left hand and return to the plank position.
- Now do the same thing with the other hand.
Read This Article: The Perfect Calisthenics Beginner Workout: Get Fit and Feel Great!
Toe Touches:
Toe touches are the best core exercise for building up strength & toning your upper abs. Not only does it target your upper abs it also helps in increasing hamstring flexibility.
Steps:
- Start with laying down on your back, with your legs stretched out vertically towards the ceiling.
- Bring your arms forward, keeping them straight & parallel to your legs.
- Now, crunch forward and try to touch your toes with your arms.
- Lower yourself and repeat the process.
- Make sure you keep your legs fully straight and toes stretched out.
Hollow Body Holds:
It targets your entire core muscles, quads, and hip flexors. Hollow body holds also help in building strength and stabilization in your core and lower back muscles. When it is done correctly it also helps in maintaining the posture. That’s why Hollow body holds are considered the best core exercise. 
Steps:
- Start by lying on the floor with your arms by your sides and legs extended.
- To start the motion, tightly squeeze your inner thighs together, the lower back and the floor shouldn’t be separated in any way.
- As you lift your legs 2-3 inches off the floor, keep your abdomen tight while maintaining a flat lower back on the ground.
- Stretch your arms out in front of you and behind you, and lift your head off the floor by 1-2 inches.
- Ensure your lower back is squeezed into the ground.
- Hold for at least 30-45 seconds before bringing the shoulders and legs to the floor.
Hanging Leg Raises:
Hanging Leg raises are the best core exercise for an intermediate-level athlete for training lower abs and hip flexors. All you need is a bar to hang and solid core strength to perform this exercise.
Steps:
- Grab the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart using an overhand grip.
- Keep your legs straight and feet together.
- Squeeze your core as you try to lift your legs, keeping your knees straight.
- Lift your legs till the thighs and feet are above your hips, & try to hold it for 2-3 secs.
- Lower your legs back to the initial position.
Best Core Exercises for Advanced:
Hanging Leg Raise (Toes to Bars):
Toes to the bar are the best core exercise, it’s an advanced variation of hanging leg raises, and you must master the hanging leg raises before attempting to do this. The exercise name pretty much describes itself; while hanging up the bar you simply (or not so simply) try to bring your toes to the bar to complete a rep. It helps you build up overall body strength from your core to your grip. 
Dragon Flag:
Dragon Flag is an advanced-level core exercise. The reason is considered to be the best core exercise is because it works the entire torso from head to toe. It’s challenging to find a single exercise that can work so many different muscles at once.
Steps:
- Placing your arms in a fixed overhead posture will help you get into the right position. Alternatively, you may grasp onto a steady object above your head.
- Keep your body tight from your shoulders to your toes and avoid bending the hips as you contract your chest and drive your legs up like a reverse crunch.
- Once your legs are raised, carefully and without losing the form lower them until only your upper back and shoulders are in contact with the bench.
- Your body should be lowered until it is slightly above the bench.
- Repeat the exercise as often as you can, once you break the form you are done. Always focus on quality over quantity.
L-sit: 
Unlike many core workouts that only target the core, the L-sit works your abs, obliques, hip flexors, quadriceps, triceps, shoulders, pecs, and lats. It’s the best core exercise for an advanced athlete, not only does it target various muscles at a time it also helps in unlocking various skills like V-sit, L sit to handstand, and many more.
Steps:
- If you’re using yoga blocks or parallettes positioned slightly closer together than shoulder width apart.
- Stand between them and lay your palms beneath the shoulders on either side.
- Straighten your arms, lock your elbows, draw your shoulder blades away from your ears, and contract your lats.
- Pushing down into your palms, tighten your abs and raise your legs (straight and together) off the ground until they are parallel to or nearly parallel to the floor.
- Hold while keeping your legs straight, your quadriceps securely squeezed, your toes pointed forward, and your neck in a neutral position.