A 30-Minute Core and Glutes Workout to Move Better in Your Daily Life

When it comes to doing strength workouts, your core and glutes are two major muscle groups that are important to focus on. Think about it: Your core is the epicenter of your body where all movement originates and your glutes are the largest muscle group in your body, responsible for daily functions like sitting, standing, walking, running, and jumping.

If you’re ready to give these muscle groups a workout, look no further than this 30-minute core and glutes workout created by Or Artzi, CPT, a lead group fitness instructor at Equinox and creator of the fitness platform Orriors. You’ll do classic core and glutes exercises like bodyweight squats, side planks, and curtsy lunges to build strength, challenge your balance, and get your heart rate up.

Join the club

If you’re following along with our January 2025 Good Moves Club Winter Challenge (sign up here if you haven't already!), this is the workout for day 1, week 1. You can follow along with Artzi and the full-length workout below. This efficient workout includes a warmup and six strength-based exercises.

The warmup

Do each exercise for 30 seconds. Complete one round. 

1. Walkout

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms by your sides.
2. Hinge forward at your hips and reach toward the floor.
3. Keeping your feet in place, walk your hands forward and come into a high plank so that your shoulders are over your wrists.
4. Pause, engaging your core.
5. Walk your hands back to your feet, then return to standing.
6. Repeat.

2. World's greatest stretch (alternating sides)

1. Start in a high plank with your feet hip-width apart and your shoulders stacked over your wrists.
2. Step your right foot forward and place it outside of your right hand.
3. Keeping your hips square, lift your right hand toward the ceiling, rotating your chest toward your right leg. Allow your gaze to follow your fingertips.
4. Pause, then return your right hand to the floor and extend your right leg back to plank position.
5. Repeat on the opposite side.
6. Continue alternating sides.

3. Cat-cow pose (Bitilasana Marjaryasana)

1. Start on all fours with your hands and knees on the floor. Align your elbows and shoulders over your wrists and your hips over your knees.
2. Slowly arch your spine, dropping your belly toward the floor. Look up as you draw your tailbone toward the ceiling (cow pose).
3. Slowly transition into a rounded spine, tucking your chin toward your spine as you tilt your pelvis forward (cat pose).
4. Continue alternating between cow and cat poses.

4. Deep squat with thoracic twist (alternating sides)

1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and hands clasped in front of your chest. 
2. Inhale, then bend at your hips and knees, lowering your butt until your thighs are parallel to the floor (or lower if that's comfortable).
3. Exhale, pressing evenly through your feet as you place your left hand on the floor and lift your right arm up to the sky while still in a deep squat.
4. Twist your torso toward your right hand, reaching for the ceiling.
5. Pause, then return your torso to center. 
6. Repeat on the opposite side. 
7. Continue alternating sides.

5. Hamstring sweep (alternating sides)

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and arms down by your sides.
2. Bend your left knee slightly and step forward with your right foot, flexing your toes up. Your right leg should be straight.
3. Lean your torso forward until it's nearly parallel to the floor, reaching your arms behind you.
4. Then, sweep your arms forward and up so your biceps are next to your ears. You should feel a stretch in the muscles behind your right thigh.
5. Repeat on the opposite side.
6. Continue alternating sides.

6. Jumping jack

1. Stand with your legs together and arms at your sides.
2. Jump your legs out to the sides while lifting your arms up over your head.
3. Finish the rep by jumping your feet back together and returning your arms to your sides.
4. Stay light on your toes and keep a soft bend in your knees as you jump.
5. Repeat.

The workout

Perform each exercise one time through, then rest for 60 seconds before moving on to the next round. Do 2-4 rounds total. 

• Beginners: Do each exercise for 30 seconds, then rest for 30 seconds before moving on to the next exercise. 
• Intermediate: Do each exercise for 40 seconds, then rest for 20 seconds before moving on to the next exercise. 
• Advanced: Do each exercise for 60 seconds, then move on to the next exercise. 

1. Bodyweight squat

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and keep your toes pointing slightly outward. Clasp your hands in front of your chest.
2. Push your hips back as if you were about to sit in a chair, then bend at your hips and knees, lowering your butt until your thighs are parallel to the floor (or lower if that's comfortable).
3. Stand, pushing through your heels, returning to the starting position.
4. Repeat.

2. Side plank (each side separately)

1. Lie on your left side with your feet stacked and your left elbow under your left shoulder, forearm on the floor.
2. Press through your left forearm and lift your torso so that you're balancing on your left forearm and left foot.
3. Extend your right arm toward the ceiling and hold for the allotted amount of time. 
4. Lower yourself to the floor when time is up, then repeat on the opposite side. 

3. Dead bug

1. Lie on your back with your arms extended toward the ceiling and knees bent at 90 degrees with shins parallel to the floor.
2. Engage your core to press your low back into the floor.
3. Slowly extend your left leg and lower your foot toward the floor while simultaneously lowering your right arm overhead.
4. Return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite arm and leg.
5. Continue alternating sides, keeping your movements slow and controlled.

4. Curtsy lunge (alternating sides)

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands clasped in front of your chest.
2. Step back with your right leg, crossing it behind your left leg in a curtsy position.
3. Bend both knees until your right thigh is parallel to the floor (or as close to parallel as you can comfortably go).
4. Keep your hips and shoulders squared ahead throughout the motion with your torso upright.
5. Return to your starting position by straightening both knees and bringing your right leg forward. 
6. Repeat on the other side. Continue to alternate sides with each rep.

5. Elbow plank to pike

1. Lie face down with your forearms on the floor and your elbows out to the sides. Keep your feet flexed with your toes on the floor.
2. Press through your forearms to lift into an elbow plank position. 
3. Lift your right forearm off the floor and place it back down a few inches behind where it initially was. 
4. Then, lift your left forearm off the floor and place it down next to your right forearm. 
5. Continue walking each forearm in toward your feet as far as you can, driving your hips up and back into an inverted “V” position. 
6. Pause when you reach your full range of motion, and then walk your forearms back out into forearm plank position. 
7. Repeat. 

6. Squat to twist (alternating sides)

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and keep your toes pointing slightly outward. Clasp your hands in front of your chest. 
2. Push your hips back, as if you're about to sit into a chair, then bend at your hips and knees, lowering your butt until your thighs are parallel to the floor (or lower if that's comfortable). 
3. Return to standing. As you do, pull your right knee up toward your chest as you rotate your torso to the right.
4. Rotate back to center as you set your foot down and immediately sit back into a squat.
5. Repeat on the opposite side and continue alternating with each squat.