Building a strong core is probably one of the most common goals among my personal training clients.

It’s a great goal to have. Strengthening the abdominal muscles supports the spine and pelvis and helps the body move effectively with less risk of injury.

And you don’t need to spend hours doing core exercises to see results. Just 15 minutes two to three times a week is enough.

To help you meet that target, I’ve created a 15-minute dumbbell core workout. It targets every layer of the core from the deep stabilizing muscles to the visible abs, while challenging your balance and coordination.

All you need are a pair of light dumbbells, a medium or heavy dumbbell, and a mat.

How to do my 15-minute dumbbell core workout

The moves:

1. Dumbbell dead bug
2. Kneeling front raise
3. Russian twist
4. Sit-up circle
5. Plank pull-though

Do each exercise for 40 seconds, followed by a 20 second rest. Complete three sets of each exercise before moving on to the next. The workout will take 15 minutes in total.

1. Dumbbell dead bug

Sets: 3 Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Lie on your back holding light dumbbells above your shoulders with your arms extended.
• Lift and bend your knees so they are directly above your hips and are bent to 90°.
• Engage your core, gently pressing your lower back into the mat.
• Slowly lower your right arm behind you while lowering and extending your left leg.
• Pause when your hand and foot are just above the floor, then return to the start with control.
• Repeat on the other side, alternating sides with each rep.

Form tips: The movement should be slow and controlled. It’s important not to arch your back. If this happens, don’t lower your arm and leg so far. You can also do this move without dumbbells until you build up strength.

2. Kneeling front raise

Sets: 3 Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Kneel holding the ends of one dumbbell against your thighs.
• Engage your core and lean back until you feel some tension in your quads.
• Keeping your back straight and arms extended throughout, raise the dumbbell to shoulder height.
• Slowly lower the dumbbell to the start.

Form tips: Don’t use momentum to swing the weight up. Keep the movement slow and controlled and start with a light weight. If you can’t maintain a straight back, or you feel twinges in your back, don’t lean back until your core is stronger.

3. Russian twist

Sets: 3 Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Sit on the mat with your knees bent and heels on the floor, holding a dumbbell by the handle in both hands in front of your chest.
• Engage your core and lean your torso back slightly.
• Maintaining the angle of your torso, rotate your torso and the dumbbell to the right.
• Return to the center and continue to rotate to the left in a smooth movement.
• Continue rotating from side to side.

Form tips: Don’t round your back. Make sure you are moving your torso and not just your arms.

4. Sit-up circle

Sets: 3 Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor, and your fingertips touching the sides of your head.
• Engage your core and lift your head and shoulders just off the floor and gaze at the ceiling, keeping your neck in a neutral position.
• Use your abdominal muscles to circle your head and shoulders.
• Change direction halfway through the 40 seconds.

Form tips: Don’t lift your head with your hands—the movement needs to come from your abs, not your neck. If this is too challenging to start, lower your head and shoulders back to the floor between circles.

5. Plank pull-through

Sets: 3 Time: 40sec Rest: 20sec

• Get on your hands and knees, with a dumbbell just below your left hand.
• Engage your core and step your feet back so your body is in a straight line from your head to heels, and your shoulders are stacked over your wrists.
• Lift your right hand and reach across to pick up the dumbbell and move it to the right.
• Return your right hand to the floor and repeat on the other side.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

Form tips: This is an anti-rotation exercise, which trains your body to resist being pulled out of position, so keep your torso and hips as still as possible throughout. Widen your stance to make it easier.

A strong core is about so much more than having visible abs. It supports posture, balance and stability—helping us to move more easily day-to-day.

Yet, even though I know how important core work is—especially for women as we move through different life stages—I must admit I skip core workouts.

The idea of doing crunches, mountain climbers or holding a plank at the end of my gym session fills me with dread. So, I just swerve core work altogether.

That was until a few weeks ago when I stumbled across this low-impact, equipment-free workout on Instagram—and I’ve been doing it at the end of (almost) every workout since.

It’s created by Ash Sewell, Pilates instructor and founder of Studio Ash.

“This mindful core workout is designed to strengthen the deep core muscles while also building body awareness and control,” Sewell tells Fit&Well.

“The goal is not simply to feel the burn, but to help women understand how to properly engage their core so they can move with more strength and confidence in everyday life.”

The routine includes a series of Pilates-inspired moves that are slow and controlled, with a focus on activating deep core muscles while connecting with the breath.

It’s only been a few weeks, but this routine has already earned a place in my workout rotation. I can’t wait to feel the long-term benefits.

How to do the 15-minute core workout

Sewell’s routine focuses on stability, control and coordination by connecting with the body and the breath.

For a follow-along version of the workout, you can sign up to Sewell’s Pilates platform Studio Ash. Or you can familiarise yourself with the moves below and do it under your own steam.

The workout includes six exercises:

1. Breath and body connection
2. Toe taps
3. Dead bug
4. Leg lowers
5. Scissors
6. Oblique twist

1. Breath and body connection

How to do it:

• Begin by inhaling through the nose, expanding your ribcage.
• Gently exhale to engage the deep abdominal muscles.
• Focus on length through the spine rather than collapsing or rounding excessively.
• Avoid gripping or straining as you connect with the core. The goal is supportive engagement rather than forcefully pulling the stomach in.

“Core work should always begin with breath and alignment,” Sewell says. “When these foundations are in place, the exercises become far more effective.”

2. Toe taps

Reps: 10-12 each side

Benefits: Builds awareness of the deep core while keeping the spine supported.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your hips and knees bent at 90° and your arms resting by your sides.
• Engage your deep core by gently drawing the lower abdomen in as you exhale.
• Slowly lower one foot, keeping the 90° bend in your knees, lightly tapping the toes on the floor, then return to the starting position.
• Repeat on the other side.
• Move slowly and focus on maintaining stability through the pelvis.

Trainer tips: Keep your lower back neutral and avoid arching away from the mat. If your lower back begins to lift, reduce the range of movement, stopping before your toes touch the floor.

3. Dead bug

Reps: 8 each side

Benefits: Improves coordination between the upper and lower body while strengthening the deep core stabilisers.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your arms extended straight up, and your hips and knees bent to 90° in the tabletop position.
• Keep your ribcage soft and connected to the mat rather than flaring upward.
• As you exhale, slowly lower one arm behind your head while lowering and extending the opposite leg.
• Stop just before your hand and heel touch the floor.
• Return to the starting position, then repeat on the other sides.

Trainer tips: Move slowly and with control to avoid rocking through your pelvis. Focus on keeping your torso stable while your arms and legs move.

4. Leg lowers

Reps: 10-12 each side

Benefits: Strengthens the lower abdominals and improves core endurance.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with both legs extended straight up.
• Press the back of your ribcage gently into the mat to support your spine.
• Engage your core and slowly lower one leg, stopping before your lower back begins to arch.
• Lift your leg back to the starting position, then repeat with the other leg.
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.

Trainer tips: Lower the legs only as far as you can maintain core control. A slight bend in your knees can make the exercise more accessible.

5. Scissors

Reps: 10-12 each side

Benefits: Strengthens your lower abdominals, while also encouraging length through the hamstrings and improved core control.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back and extend both legs straight up.
• Lift your head, neck and shoulders off the mat, and interlace your fingers behind one leg, gently drawing it toward you.
• As you engage your core, lift your torso slightly toward that leg.
• On the exhale, switch legs, bringing the opposite leg toward you while maintaining the lifted upper-body position.
• Lengthen both legs as you move, one reaching toward the ceiling and the other extending away.

Trainer tips: Keep your core engaged to support the lower back as the legs switch. Lift your torso with your abdominals rather than pulling on the neck.

6. Oblique twist

Reps: 10-12 on each side

Benefits: Strengthens the muscles along the sides of the waist while also challenging rotational control through the core.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your hips and knees bent to 90° in tabletop position.
• Interlace your hands behind your head, with your elbows pointing out to the sides.
• Lift your head, neck and shoulders off the mat to engage the upper abdominals.
• Rotate your torso to the right, bringing your right elbow and left knee together, while extending your right leg.
• Return to the start, then repeat on the other side.

Trainer tips: Rotate from your ribcage rather than pulling your elbow across the body. Move slowly and focus on controlled rotation through the torso.

Whether you have a desk job or not, you’ve probably become aware of the stiffness and damage caused by too much sitting.

Over time, hours seated or hunched over screens can lead to muscular imbalances, poor posture and decreased mobility.

With this long-term risk in mind, I found Pilates instructor Lottie Murphy’s 15-minute routine for desk posture to use as a regular practice.

It was short enough to slot into busy work days, yet impactful enough to address imbalances and support my posture.

I committed to this routine for 30 days—here’s what I found.

The 15-minute Pilates for desk posture routine

What I discovered

My shoulders finally relaxed

I didn’t expect such a gentle routine to make a noticeable difference to my shoulders, but it did.

The windows move—lying on my back with my arms reaching upward, opening my elbows wide, rotating my palms upward, then sweeping my arms overhead—was the most effective.

At first, my shoulders felt stiff and awkward, but after a couple of weeks, I noticed a better range of motion. Thread the needle and cat-cow stretches contributed to this improvement as well, helping me move more easily through my spine.

By the end of the month, I realized I’d stopped rolling my shoulders to relieve tension—they felt looser naturally.

It woke up my lower body

Even though the routine isn’t intense, it switched on my hips and legs.

The glute bridge is not something I would usually think of doing to combat desk stiffness, but it was another standout move. Holding the lift and then lowering slowly made me realize how little I engage my glutes during the day while seated.

My hamstrings felt tight at the start of the month, but that gradually eased as I repeated the routine. Instead of leaving me feeling exhausted, the session energized me, and my lower body felt mobile and ready to move.

I became more aware of my posture

An unexpected benefit was how much more aware I became of how I sit and stand.

Exercises like the plank rock and cat-cow made me focus on spinal positioning—keeping my core lightly engaged and my shoulders stacked over my hips instead of collapsing forward.

Even the simple arm movement at the end of the routine made me notice how often I round through my chest.

That awareness carried over into my workday. I caught myself adjusting my ribcage when I was typing or softening my lower back when standing. These small alterations felt natural rather than forced.

By the end of the month, I was checking in with my posture more often and correcting it sooner.

Of everything I learned, this felt the most significant. After all, awareness of your body and posture is the first step to changing it.

Barre isn’t just something you do in a boutique studio—it’s a low-impact, full-body workout that can be easily done at home.

Barre instructor Tara Riley has created a 15-minute at-home routine that blends the precision of barre with the functional principles of Pilates and strength training.

“This routine focuses on coordination, control and balanced muscular development,” she tells Fit&Well. “It will help you build strength while maintaining mobility and flexibility.”

Move through each section with minimal rest, but take breaks if needed. A mat, sturdy chair or wall, and light dumbbells are all you need.

Warm-up A

Walk through the feet

Reps: 8-10 each side

• Stand with your feet together and lift your right heel. 
• Lift your left heel so you rise onto your toes, then lower your right heel to the floor.
• Repeat on the other side, and continue to walk on the spot, rolling from your heel to your toe, moving smoothly with control.

Standing abs activation with knee lift

Reps: 8 slow, 16 fast

• Lift your arms to shoulder height in front of you and bend your elbows to 90° so your forearms are vertical with palms facing you. Inhale to prepare.
• Exhale powerfully as you lift one knee and pull your arms down to your sides, keeping your elbows bent. (The exhale helps to activate your abs.)
• Inhale as you return to the start, then repeat on the other side. 
• Continue, alternating sides with each rep.
• Speed up after 8 reps.
• As an optional extra, twist your torso as you lower your elbows, bringing your right elbow to meet your left knee, and vice versa.

Warm-up B

Second-position plié

Reps: 16

• Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, and your toes turned out.
• Bend your knees to lower, keeping your knees aligned over your toes and sweep your arms out to the sides and up to shoulder height while keeping your chest upright. 
• Reverse the movements back to the start.

Plié pulses with heel lifts

Reps: 16 pulses, then 12 heel lifts each side

• Pause at the bottom of the plié and rise and lower one inch, pulsing up and down 16 times.
• Lift your left heel and pulse eight times.
• Lower your left heel and lift your right heel, and pulse eight times. 
• Alternate lifting one heel than the other with each pulse, for eight pulses.

Arms series

Wide plié with biceps curls

Reps: 8

• Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, toes turned out, holding light dumbbells by the outsides of your thighs, palms facing up and your upper arms pinned to your torso. 
• Bend your knees to lower as you bend your elbows to lift the weights to your shoulders. 
• Reverse the movement to the start.

If light weights aren’t available, you can do this with bodyweight, just make sure you are tensing the muscles throughout the movement.

Reach and pull arms with plié

Reps: 8 each side, followed by 8 together

• Pause at the bottom of the wide plié with the dumbbells held at biceps height. 
• Extend your right arm out to the side and rotate it so your palm faces back.
• Pull the elbow back to the waist, rotating so the palm faces up.
• Do eight reps on one side, then repeat on the other side.
• Do eight more reps where you extend your legs as you extend both arms simultaneously.

Arm pulses

Reps: 8

• Stand with your arms extended to the sides at shoulder height, palms facing behind you.
• Pulse your arms back eight times.

Isometric series A

Foot articulation in turnout

Reps: 8

• Holding on to the back of a chair, stand with your heels together and toes turned out.
• Bend your knees then lift your heels.
• Straighten your legs and lower your heels back down with control.

Heel lift

Reps: 16

• In the same position, lift and lower your heels.
• Spread your weight evenly through your toes throughout.

Isometric series B

First-position plié

Reps: 16

• Stand on the balls of your feet, toes turned out and your heels and legs together, holding on to the back of a chair with your spine tall.
• Keeping your heels together, bend your knees and move them out to the sides to lower into a plié position, keeping your spine straight as if standing against a wall.
• Return to the starting position.

First-position plié pulses

Reps: 16

• At the bottom of the plié position, pulse up and down, aiming to rise no more than an inch each time, moving with control and keeping your spine tall.

Abductor presses

Reps: 16

• At the bottom of your plié position, gently pulse your knees further out to the sides.
• After eight reps, rise and fall as you pulse your knees for eight more reps. 

Sideline squat series

Squat to side tap with ab crunch

Reps: 8 each side

• Stand left-side-on to the back of a chair, with your left hand lightly resting on the backrest for support.
• Bend your knees and push your hips back to lower into a squat.
• Extend your legs to rise and tap your right foot on the floor to the right side as you reach your right arm overhead.
• Leaning left slightly, towards the chair, bend and lift your right knee whilst bending and lowering your right elbow, bringing them to meet. Exhale to activate your abs as you crunch
• Return to the starting position.
• Do all your reps on one side, then swap sides.

Floor glute series

Glute lift and pulse

Reps: 8, followed by 8 pulses each side

• On your hands and knees, extend your right leg behind you and lower your left forearm to the floor so your left elbow is directly under your left shoulder and your left hand is under your right shoulder and next to your right hand.
• Lift your right leg, moving from your hip and keeping your torso still.
• Lower your right leg to tap your right big toe on the floor then go straight into the next rep. 
• After eight reps, pulse your leg while it’s in the air. 
• Do all your reps on one side, then switch sides.

Abs series

Seated roll back with arm press

Reps: 8

• Sit up straight on the mat with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Tuck your tailbone, rounding your lower back and scoop your abs as you roll back halfway. Press your arms forward as you do so. 
• Roll back up and press your arms overhead.
• To advance the movement, lift one foot off the floor and extend the leg in sync with your arms as you curl your torso back. Make sure to repeat on the other side. 
• To advance the movement further, lift both feet off the floor and extend both legs in sync with your arms as you roll back.

Shop light dumbbells

If you’re brand new to exercise, knowing where to start can feel overwhelming.

That’s why I asked NASM-certified coach Danielle Legris, the owner of Thrive Era Wellness, to create a full-body workout that’s beginner-friendly and ticks off as much as possible in just 12 minutes.

The exercises are to be performed as supersets, which essentially means doing two different exercises back-to-back with no rest. This helps save on time because rest periods are limited.

Once you’ve completed both exercises back to back, take a short rest before tackling them again. Complete the recommended number of sets before moving on to the next pair of exercises.

Read through all the exercises before you begin, to see which exercises have been paired together (denoted as A and B).

You will need a mat, dumbbells and a bench for this workout, although alternative options are provided if you’re missing any of this equipment.

Legris has also provided a warm-up stretch and optional cool-down stretches.

“If you are planning to include cool-down stretches within the 12 minutes, I suggest two sets of [each superset],” says Legris. “If your cool-down stretches can be performed outside of the 12 minutes, I suggest three sets.”

Remember to listen to your body as you move, and adapt any exercise that doesn’t feel right.

Workout overview

• 1A. Side plank x 20sec each side
• 1B. Half-kneeling halo x 8 each side
• 2A. Squat x 8
• 2B. Single-arm dumbbell row x 8 each side
• 3A. Single-leg bridge x 8 each side
• 3B. Bench press x 8

Warm-up

World’s greatest stretch

Sets: 2 Reps: 10 each side

• From kneeling, step one foot forward.
• Place both hands on the floor inside your front foot.
• Lift the hand closest to your front foot towards the sky and rotate your chest upward—looking up at your hand.
• Return to start and repeat, then switch sides.

If you want more of a challenge. Lift your back knee off the ground.

Workout

1A. Side plank

Sets: 2-3 Time: 20sec each side

Try the different variations in the video, which run from easiest to hardest, to find the one that suits your ability best, and work up to more challenging variations as the weeks progress.

• Lie on your side with your hand or elbow directly under your shoulder.
• Lift your hips so your body forms a straight line.
• Hold this position for time, breathing steadily, then repeat on the other side.

1B. Half-kneeling halo

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8 each side

• Start in a half-kneeling position holding a light weight. If you don’t have weights, use a filled water bottle or small book.
• Circle the weight slowly around your head.
• Keep your torso tall and still.
• Repeat on the other side by switching knees and the direction you’re circling the weight.

2A. Squat

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8

• Stand with your feet hip- to shoulder-width apart. Your toes, knees and hips should all be face forward.
• Sit your hips back and bend your knees to lower.
• Press through your feet to stand back up.

2B. Single-arm dumbbell row

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8 each side

• Place your left hand and left knee on a bench or other secure knee-high platform.
• Holding a light weight or a household object in the other hand, slowly pull the weight toward your torso, squeezing your shoulder blade.
• Lower with control.
• Complete all the reps on one side, then switch sides.

3A. Single-leg bridge

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8 each side

• Lie on your back with one knee hugged into your chest.
• Place the opposite foot flat on the floor.
• Press through that foot to lift your hips.
• Lower back down with control.
• Switch legs after completing reps.

3B. Bench press

Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8

• Lie on a bench (or on a yoga mat) holding dumbbells (or filled cans or jars) above your chest, with your arms extended.
• Bend your elbows to lower the weights, allowing a 45° angle between your upper arm and torso.
• Press back up with control.

Cool-down

Figure four

Time: 30sec each side

• Lie on your back with your knees bent.
• Place your right ankle on your left thigh, just above the knee.
• Hold the back of the left leg and gently pull it towards you.
• Hold the stretch for time, then switch sides.

Chest stretch

Time: 30sec each side

• Stand next to a wall and place your forearm against it.
• Gently turn away to feel a stretch through your chest.
• Hold for time, then switch sides.

Hamstring stretch

Time: 30sec each side

• Place one foot on a slightly raised surface, keeping that leg straight.
• Hinge forward slightly if needed to increase the stretch.
• Hold for time, then repeat on the other side.

Lat stretch

Time: 30sec each side

• Raise your right arm overhead and then bend your right elbow so your right hand rests on your upper back.
• Use your left hand to gently push your right elbow down to increase the stretch.
• Hold for time, then repeat on the other side.

A lot of people—me included—find it difficult to do an hour-long workout session every day. That’s where shorter, higher-intensity workouts can be useful.

Moving quickly through a set of exercises can challenge both your cardio fitness and your muscular endurance. And if you can’t manage that, even a few minutes of stretching can boost your body and make you feel better.

When I only have 10 minutes to spare, I have a set routine I like to follow featuring squats, Romanian deadlift, overhead press and bent-over row.

But admittedly, this can get a bit boring. So whenever I interview a trainer, I ask them for their favorite busy-day workout.

Samantha Cubbins—manager at Gymshark’s UK Lifting Club and a certified trainer with 20 years of experience—told me that her favorite quick routine is an eight-minute session of eight burpees followed by eight dumbbell snatches (four on each arm), completing as many rounds as possible (AMRAP).

My first thought was: That sounds hard.

But she convinced me of its benefits and offered some beginner-friendly modifications that made it more accessible.

The eight-minute AMRAP workout

Cubbins’ workout consists of doing eight burpees, followed by eight dumbbell snatches as many times as you can within eight minutes.

Cubbins says she likes the routine because it’s easy to remember and works a lot of your muscles.

“You're using every muscle in your body, you're lifting your own bodyweight, you're getting your heart rate up and you're working your core, your shoulders and your legs,” she says.

However, this is a tough routine if you’re new to exercise, so she suggests tweaking it if you’re a beginner.

How to adapt the workout if you’re a beginner

Cubbins suggests that beginners perform eight rounds of the exercises, with 30-60 seconds of rest in between.

Rounds: 8 Rest: 30-60sec

1. Burpee x 8
2. Dumbbell snatch x 4 each side

Performing rounds, rather than exercising to a time limit, will make the routine a bit longer, so it might take around 15 minutes.

1. Burpee

Reps: 8

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart.
• Squat down and place your hands on the floor.
• Jump or step back into a high plank position.
• Lower your chest to the floor, then push back up.
• Jump or step your feet back to your hands.
• Jump or stand up, then repeat.

Form tips: Cubbins suggests beginners avoid the jumps and step in and out of the plank instead. This low-impact modification makes the burpee more accessible to a range of fitness levels.

You can also modify the push-up element, either by placing your hands on a raised surface—like a plyo box or weight bench—instead of the floor, or dropping to your knees before attempting the push-up.

2. Dumbbell snatch

Reps: 4 each side

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a dumbbell between your feet.
• Push your butt back and bend your knees, and reach down to take hold of the dumbbell.
• Push through your feet, extend your legs and drive your hips forward to pull the dumbbell to chest height, elbow out to the side.
• Punch the dumbbell overhead in one smooth movement, extending your arm.
• Reverse the movement to lower the dumbbell to the floor.
• Complete all the repetitions on one side, then switch sides.

Form tips: To lower the dumbbell back to the floor, keep your back flat, hinge at your hips and bend your knees.

If you need to make the lifting and lowering movements easier, Cubbins suggests placing the dumbbell on a raised platform, so you don’t have as far to travel.

The dumbbell snatch is a technical move, so beginners should perform it slowly, with a light weight at first, and ideally with guidance from a trainer who can help you with your form.

“If you're unsure on what to do or how to lift something, ask someone to help you so they can demonstrate,” says Cubbins.

“I know there's a lot out there online [...] but I’m a firm believer that nothing is better than having someone there with you to show you and to make sure that you are doing it safely. Or you could film yourself and send it to a coach.”