When people think about core training, they usually think about abs.

Crunches. Sit-ups. Planks. Maybe some side bends if they're feeling ambitious.

But the muscles that do the most important work for back health, the ones that protect your spine, stabilize your pelvis, and keep everything functioning the way it should, are your obliques. And most people are either not training them at all, or training them in a way that misses the point entirely.

In this week's video, we're going to cover what your obliques actually do, why they matter so much for back health, and five exercises that take you from basic activation all the way to functional, loaded movement.

Here are 5 five exercises to activate and strengthen your obliques the right way, from the ground up. These exercises are the foundation. They're not flashy, but when you do them well, you'll feel them in places most core exercises never reach.

Your obliques run diagonally along the sides of your torso in two layers: the external obliques on the outside and the internal obliques underneath. Together they connect your rib cage to your pelvis and wrap around your midsection like a natural corset.

Most people think of the obliques as rotation muscles. When you twist to the right, you feel it on the left…clear as can be!

However, while they do assist in rotation, that's not their most important job.

Their primary function is anti-rotation: resisting twisting forces to keep your spine stable. Every time you carry something on one side, reach across your body, or take an uneven step, your obliques are working to prevent unwanted movement from traveling into your spine.

When they're doing their job, your low back stays protected. When they're not, your lumbar spine compensates and takes on forces it was never designed to handle.

That's where back pain so often starts. Not from a single dramatic injury, but from a slow accumulation of stress on a spine that didn't have enough support around it.

Before the obliques can do their job, the diaphragm has to do its job.

Your diaphragm is the primary breathing muscle, and it works in close coordination with your obliques and deep core muscles to create intra-abdominal pressure, the internal bracing that makes your spine rigid and stable under load.

Think of it like inflating a tire from the inside. That pressure is what gives your spine something solid to move against.

Most people breathe into their chest rather than their belly, which keeps the diaphragm from descending fully. When the diaphragm doesn't engage properly, the obliques can't generate the pressure they need to stabilize the spine. The whole system becomes less effective.

This is why we always start here. Learning to breathe properly and engage the diaphragm fully isn't a warm-up exercise. It's the foundation that makes every other core exercise more effective.

The most common mistake in core training is focusing exclusively on the muscles you can see in the mirror.

Crunches and sit-ups target the rectus abdominis, the six-pack muscle that runs down the front of your abdomen. That muscle is important, but it's not a stabilizer.

Training it in isolation while neglecting the obliques and deep core creates an imbalance where the surface muscles are overworked and the stabilizing muscles are underused.

The second mistake is training rotation instead of anti-rotation. Russian twists, cable rotations, and similar exercises have their place, but they train the obliques as movers rather than stabilizers. For most adults over 50, especially those with back pain or a history of back issues, learning to resist movement is more important than learning to create it.

The third mistake is skipping the breath. You can do the most technically correct exercise in the world, but if you're not breathing and bracing properly, you're leaving most of the benefits on the table.

To help avoid these mistakes, follow the exercises to help train your core the right way:

Everything starts here. Zombie breaths teach your diaphragm and obliques to work together, which is the foundation for every exercise that follows.

The goal is a full, complete exhale that drives the diaphragm up and draws the obliques inward. Done consistently, this retrains the breathing pattern that most people have lost from years of stress, shallow breathing, and sitting.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Arms can rest at your sides or extend forward like a zombie reaching out.
• Take a natural breath in, letting your belly rise as your diaphragm descends.
  
• Now exhale slowly and completely. Breathe out every last bit of air. As you do, you should feel your lower ribs drop toward the floor and your obliques gently draw inward.
• At the end of the exhale, pause for a moment and notice how your core feels engaged without any bracing or effort.
  
• Breathe in again and repeat.

Reps:

5 to 10 slow, controlled breaths.

Coaching tip:

Don't force the exhale. Let it happen gradually and completely. The engagement you feel at the bottom of a full exhale is exactly what your obliques should be doing when you brace for any loaded movement. The goal is to make that feeling familiar.

Once you've established the breathing pattern, this exercise challenges your obliques and core to maintain stability while your legs create a lever arm that wants to pull your lower back off the floor.

This is where the anti-extension work begins. Keeping your lower back pressed flat while your legs move away from your body is one of the most important patterns in core training, and one of the most commonly done incorrectly.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back and bring both knees up so your hips and knees are at 90 degrees, shins parallel to the floor. This is your starting position.
  
• Take a breath in. On the exhale, brace your core and press your lower back gently into the floor.
  
• Keeping that brace, slowly extend one leg out, lowering it toward the floor without touching down. The other knee stays at 90 degrees.
  
• Pause at the bottom of the extension, then return the leg to the starting position.
  
• Repeat on the other side. That's one rep.

Sets and reps:

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps each side.

Coaching tip:

The moment your lower back lifts off the floor, the exercise is over for that rep. That arch means your core has lost the position and your lumbar spine is compensating. If you can't keep your back flat with a fully extended leg, shorten the range of motion and only extend as far as you can control. Build the range gradually.

The dead bug is one of the best “core” exercises there is. Adding a stability ball between your hands and knees creates constant tension that requires your obliques to actively engage throughout the entire movement.

How to do it:

• Lie on your back and bring both knees up to 90 degrees. Hold a stability ball between your arms and your knees, pressing gently inward from both sides to keep it in place.
  
• Take a breath in. On the exhale, brace your core and press your lower back into the floor.
  
• Keeping the pressure on the ball, slowly extend your right arm overhead and your left leg out toward the floor at the same time.
  
• Move slowly and under full control. The ball should stay steady throughout. If it shifts, you've lost your brace.
  
• Return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side: left arm, right leg.

Sets and reps:

2 to 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps each side.

Coaching tip:

The press into the ball is not just to hold it in place. It's an active tension cue that drives engagement through your entire core. Press your hands and knees into the ball with intention throughout the whole movement. If the exercise feels too easy, you're probably not pressing hard enough.

The Press Out is one of the most effective anti-rotation exercises you can do, and it bridges the gap between floor-based core work and the way your body actually has to stabilize during daily life and training.

When completing this exercise, your job is to keep your torso perfectly still while you press your hands straight out in front of you. The moment the arms extend, the rotational demand increases. That's when the obliques fire.

How to do it:

• Set a band or cable at chest height and stand or kneel with your side facing the anchor point.
  
• Hold the handle or band with both hands at the center of your chest.
  
• Brace your obliques (like you learned to do in the previous exercises). Your torso should not rotate toward or away from the anchor point at any time during the exercise.
  
• Slowly press both hands straight out in front of you until your arms are fully extended. Hold for a count of two.
  
• Return your hands to your chest under control. That's one rep.
  
• Complete all reps on one side before switching.

Sets and reps:

2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps each side.

Coaching tip:

The press out is when rotation wants to happen most. Go slowly and own every inch of that movement. If your torso is rotating or your hips are shifting, the load is too heavy. Step closer to the anchor to reduce the resistance and rebuild from there.

This is where everything gets applied to real life.

The suitcase carry is exactly what it sounds like: you hold a weight in one hand at your side and walk. Simple in concept, demanding in practice. The obliques on the opposite side have to work continuously to prevent your torso from tilting toward the weight. It mirrors exactly what happens every time you carry groceries, luggage, or anything else on one side, which is precisely the situation where the lower back takes over when the obliques aren't doing their job.

How to do it:

• Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in one hand at your side, arm straight.
  
• Stand tall: shoulders level, ribs down, core braced.
  
• Walk slowly and deliberately for 20 to 30 feet, maintaining a perfectly upright posture throughout.
  
• The weight should feel like it's trying to pull you sideways. Your job is to not let it.
  
• Set the weight down, switch hands, and repeat in the other direction.

Sets and reps:

2 to 3 sets of 20 to 30 feet each side.

Coaching tip:

The most common mistake is leaning away from the weight to compensate. That's your obliques giving up. Stand as tall as if the weight weren't there at all. Start lighter than you think you need to and focus on position before loading. Over time, increase the weight and the distance.

These five exercises work best done in sequence, in the order listed. The progression moves from breathing and activation on the floor, to anti-rotation in a stable position, to full functional load on your feet.

Here's your routine:

• Zombie Breathes: 5 to 10 breaths
  
• Knee Lifts: 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps each side
  
• Dead Bugs with Stability Ball: 2 to 3 sets of 6 to 8 reps each side
  
• Pallof Press: 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps each side
  
• Suitcase Carry: 2 to 3 sets of 20 to 30 feet each side

The whole sequence takes about fifteen to twenty minutes. You can do it as part of your warm-up before a strength session, as a standalone routine on recovery days, or anytime your back feels tight or overworked.

If you do have back pain, then you may only make it through the first few exercises. Just do what helps the back, and do not over do it. You should also see a physical therapist if your back pain continues.

These exercises are a strong starting point for building the oblique function that protects your back. For many people, adding them consistently will create a noticeable improvement in how their lower back feels during and after activity.

That said, back pain and core dysfunction rarely exist in isolation. If your obliques are weak, there are usually other contributing factors: hip mobility, glute strength, thoracic stiffness, movement patterns that have developed over years. The full picture is worth understanding.

If your back has been a persistent issue, or if you're not sure where your core function actually stands, a proper assessment is the most valuable place to start.

At Mint Condition Fitness, core stability and back health are built into every program we design. Not as an afterthought, but as a foundation.

It starts with our Thrive-in-5 Assessment Process. We take the time to understand how your body moves, where the weaknesses are, and what your back specifically needs to stay strong and pain-free over time.

Five visits. A complete picture. A plan built for you.

You'll receive:

• A complete fitness and movement assessment
  
• Two personal training sessions with a dedicated coach
  
• One recovery session to reduce soreness and improve mobility
  
• A customized plan built around your body, your goals, and any limitations
  
• A clear roadmap so you always know what you're working toward and why

A strong back starts with a strong foundation. Let's build yours.

Learn more about the Thrive-in-5 Assessment Process here: https://mintfit.com/thrive-in-5/