Want a killer core workout? Grab some furniture sliders and get to work

SuperSliders, $11.61 at Amazon

If there's one good thing to come from this pandemic, it's the creativity that being isolated and stuck at home brought out in so many people. Nowhere was that more on display than in the fitness arena. Whether you became an at-home workout animal, adapted your gym workouts to the great outdoors, mastered the art of socially distant group exercise, or registered for your first virtual race, ideally you’ll come out on the other side more adaptable and well-rounded than you were before. (Huge props to those who are also in better physical shape than their pre-pandemic selves. No small feat amidst sweeping gym closures, flagging motivation, and dangerously short desk-to-fridge walks!)

One of the best hacks I’ve seen catch on in the last year is the reimagining of household items as exercise equipment: people using milk jugs instead of free weights, pets in the place of medicine balls, and even partners as a jungle gym of sorts (Google "Koala Challenge" if you don't know what I’m talking about). Perhaps my favorite, which is now a regular feature in my supplemental exercise rotation, is the use of furniture sliders (also called furniture movers) as tools for a killer core workout.

Before we get into the nuts and bolts of how, exactly, that works, it's worth explaining what "core" means in this context. Many people assume that the core is synonymous with abs — ideally of the six-pack variety — which look great on a beach and can be chiseled down through a religious commitment to crunches. While those muscles are certainly part of your core, there's a lot more to it than that. Cambridge Dictionary defines the core as "the muscles around your pelvis, hips, and abdomen that you use in most body movements" and confirms that the region is a lot bigger and more complex than "abs" adequately convey. A strong core isn't just for show, either. The Mayo Clinic explains that core strength is essential for balance and stability, as well as just about any other physical activity.

You can obviously get in a good core workout without spending a penny. Planks, Pilates, scissor kicks, and other such moves can be done anywhere with nothing more than your body and a comfortable surface to move on. But the human body is amazingly adaptive, and core work can be incredibly mundane — both good reasons to constantly shake up your routine and try to make it as fun as possible. The next time you find yourself in a core strength rut, grab (or order for very cheap) a pair of furniture sliders, and get to work.

To get started, place two sliders side by side (vertically, if they aren't round) with the slippery side down on a carpet or similarly soft surface that they can glide across the ground without catching. My go-to moves require you to start in a plank (with your elbows either bent or straight), plant your elbows or hands firmly on the ground, place each foot on a slider, and keep your core engaged as you progress through the motions. Give the following four exercises a try, repeating each one ten times before taking a short break and moving onto the next one. If you’re a little sore afterward, you’ll know you’ve done it right.

Furniture Slider Pikes

Furniture Slider Mountain Climbers

Furniture Slider Knee Tucks

Furniture Slider Pulses