You only need eight minutes and these nine moves to tone your abs

Building a stronger core is something we should all be doing. Strengthening your abs can help you aid your posture, support your back and improve your stability. It can also help carve out a muscular mid-region. 

And if there’s someone who knows how to make your core stronger, it’s fitness expert Daisy Keech. Keech is no stranger to helping fitness fans achieve a toned mid-region. Her masses of high-intensity interval training (HIIT)-based workout videos, which include many of the best core strengthening exercises, are a testament to that. 

One of Keech's latest workouts is an eight-minute ab video, which has clocked up over four million views (and counting). And better yet, it’s a workout that features just nine no-equipment moves that will get your abs fired up. Nope, none of the best ab rollers are required for this quick session. Instead, Keech recommends completing each of the nine different floor-based moves for 40 seconds, then resting for 10 seconds. That’s it. 

But although it might sound simple, don’t be fooled into thinking this ab blast is easy. Whether you are trying to build a six-pack, tone up, or you just want to test your core strength, find some floor space, roll out one of the best yoga mats and set aside just eight minutes. This speedy workout is bound to get you feeling the burn. 

Watch Daisy Keech’s 8-minute ab workout

Keech describes this drill as her ‘hourglass abs workout’. She also mentions at the start of the video that she prefers to avoid any exercises that target her obliques, like a side plank. 

“An hourglass shape is something that I’ve worked really hard for," she says. "And my exercises are very specific to where I do not work my outer oblique." 

Keech explains that she believes oblique exercises tend to build out her outer waist. This is why she avoids these exercises, as she wishes to create a cinched-in, hourglass figure. 

While these exercises might do just that, we prefer to think of this ab workout as a quick and no-equipment-required blow that will build up your core strength in just eight minutes. We say this because science tells us that achieving core strength goes much further than aesthetics. 

In fact, according to Harvard Health core exercises can reduce your risk of falling as your abs are the 'sturdy central link in a chain connecting your upper and lower body'. Research has also proven that a strong core can help prevent injuries during sports or other everyday activities.

Convinced to build your core? Here are the moves you need to know: 

1. Butterfly kicks
2. Toe taps
3. Scissor kicks
4. Reverse crunches
5. Jack knives 
6. Bicycle crunches
7. Bicycle kicks
8. Russian twists
9. Basic crunches

Remember to repeat these moves for 40 seconds and then rest for 10. Although if you find you are unable to complete each exercise for 40 seconds, just practice them for as long as you can. After all, it's better to focus on your form and perfect your technique rather than risk injuring yourself. 

If you're new to training your core, you could also check out this abs workout for beginners. It might also benefit you to master how to do a plank correctly too and how to do a crunch properly if it's been a while since you focused on your core. 

Or, for more tips on how to build a six pack, head this way.