10 Min Standing Waist Workout with a Stick | Abs, Obliques & Core
Grab a Broom Handle and Let's Work That Waist!
You don't need expensive gym equipment to change the way you train your core.
Sometimes a broom handle will do nicely! 🧹😂
Today's 10 Minute Standing Waist Workout uses a long stick to guide us through controlled rotations, twists, side bends and reaches designed to challenge the muscles around the waist and core.
There are no weights, no jumping and no floor exercises.
It's short, simple and a little different — and it makes a fantastic 10-minute standalone session or core finisher after one of your longer workouts.
▶️ Join Me for the Workout
All you'll need is a long, lightweight stick.
I'm simply using a broom handle, so there's absolutely no need to buy specialist equipment if you already have something suitable at home.
And if this workout is part of your training week with me:
📅 START THIS WEEK'S COMPLETE WORKOUT PLAN
What to Expect
During our 10 minutes together we'll use:
🔥 Standing core exercises
💫 Rotational movements
↔️ Side bends
🔥 Twists
💪 Reaches
🧹 A broom handle or exercise stick
✅ No weights
✅ No jumping
✅ No floor work
✅ All standing
The stick isn't there to provide heavy resistance.
Instead, we're using it as a movement guide.
Why Use a Stick for Standing Core Exercises?
Holding a stick gives your hands and arms a fixed reference point.
That can make movements such as rotations and side bends feel quite different from performing them with your arms loose at your sides.
It also encourages you to think about the position of your shoulders, arms and torso as you move.
For some exercises we'll hold the stick behind or above the body; for others we'll bring it in front as we work through different movement patterns.
The aim isn't to move as far or as quickly as possible.
It's about controlled movement.
What Muscles Are We Working?
Although we're calling this a waist workout, your core is much more than one muscle.
Today's movements involve the:
✔️ Rectus abdominis
✔️ Obliques
✔️ Deeper stabilising muscles of the trunk
✔️ Muscles supporting the spine and pelvis
Different movement patterns place different demands on those muscles.
Rotation brings additional attention to the obliques, while controlled lateral movements challenge the muscles along the sides of the torso.
❤️ Can Waist Exercises Make Your Waist Smaller?
This is another area where it's useful to separate muscle training from fat loss.
We can't perform a twisting exercise and instruct our body to remove fat specifically from our waist.
That's not how fat loss works.
What we can do is strengthen and condition the muscles around our midsection.
Core training can then sit alongside cardiovascular exercise, full-body strength training, everyday activity and nutrition as part of a broader fitness programme.
So when I use phrases such as waist workout or waist shaping, we're talking about training the muscles around that area — not promising targeted fat loss.
The Benefits Go Beyond Appearance
A stronger, better-controlled core is useful for far more than aesthetics.
Your core plays a role in almost everything you do.
Walking, carrying, bending, lifting, reaching and changing direction all require your trunk to stabilise and transfer movement.
Regular core training can help:
✔️ Improve trunk control
✔️ Strengthen the abdominal muscles
✔️ Challenge the obliques
✔️ Improve body awareness
✔️ Support balance and stability
✔️ Complement your strength training
✔️ Improve functional movement
And standing core work is particularly useful if you prefer not to exercise on the floor.
How Should the Rotations Feel?
Controlled.
That's especially important with rotational movements.
Don't force yourself into the biggest possible twist.
Your hips and spine don't need to match somebody else's range of motion.
Keep your movements smooth, stay within a comfortable range and think about using your muscles to control both the movement and the return.
If something feels uncomfortable rather than simply challenging, reduce your range or leave that movement out.
⭐ Who Is This Workout For?
This 10-minute session is ideal if you want to:
✔️ Work your abs without floor exercises
✔️ Strengthen your waist and obliques
✔️ Add a quick core finisher
✔️ Exercise without weights
✔️ Try something different
✔️ Work entirely standing
✔️ Fit some core training into a busy day
It's also wonderfully easy to stack onto another workout.
Ten minutes after your walking or cardio session and you're done!
🛍️ Do I Need to Buy an Exercise Stick?
Absolutely not.
If you have a suitable broom or mop handle at home, that's perfect.
Just make sure whatever you use is lightweight, smooth, secure and gives you enough room to move safely.
For the dumbbells, resistance bands, ankle weights and other fitness equipment I use in my workouts, you can browse my Amazon Storefront:
But for this particular workout, a broom handle really will do! 😂
Make It Part of a Balanced Week
Ten-minute targeted workouts are brilliant little stackables.
They don't have to replace your longer sessions.
Instead, you can use them to add a little extra work to a particular area after your main workout or use them when time is tight and doing something short is more realistic than doing nothing.
For a balanced mixture of cardio, strength and mobility, follow:
📅 This Week's Complete Workout Plan
And if you enjoy standing core training, my 10 Minute Upper Belly Tone Workout and 10 Minute Lower Belly Tone Workout are natural companions to this session too.
Final Thoughts
I love finding new ways to make familiar exercises feel different, and adding a simple stick does exactly that.
We're still twisting, bending, reaching and working the core — but having that fixed position for the hands and arms gives the movements a completely different feel.
And when the only specialist equipment required is a broom handle you probably already own, there aren't many excuses! 🧹😂
Give me 10 minutes and let's work those abs, obliques and waist together. ❤️
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