Women who want to tone their midriffs but are bored of doing sit-ups in their gym wear should try doing vertical core exercises, according to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

Presenting at the ACSM's 14th annual Health and Fitness Summit last week, exercise expert Dixie Stanforth said that core training can be done while standing and could even be more effective than typical torso workouts.

She said vertical exercises train the abdomen and back muscles in ways they are most often used - while standing.

"Crunches are not as beneficial for real-life movement," said Ms Stanforth.

"As people age, the core muscles tend to shut down and lose functionality - and that's one of the main causes of low-back pain," she added.

In February, health journalist Irene Maher wrote in a piece for the St Petersburg Times that yoga, which is best executed in comfortable ladies fitness wear, can ease lower back pain.

Posted by Martin Sebborn ADNFCR-2569-ID-19720623-ADNFCR

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