Our trainer’s 'non-negotiable' exercise for bulletproof obliques and mobile hips

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Add this to your ab workouts

a woman with strong ab muscles
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

You’ll probably know by now that when it comes to working your abdominal muscles, there’s no one exercise that’ll help sculpt your midsection, however the windshield wiper is a powerhouse of a core exercise worth knowing about. This odd-sounding exercise works on your rotational strength and lateral stability, and below, our resident personal trainer explains why you should be adding it to your ab workouts.

As always, if you’re a complete beginner, you’re pregnant or postpartum, or you’re returning to exercise following an extended break, this might not be right for you and your body. Always seek personalized advice, and stop if you ever experience any pain or discomfort during exercise.

How to do a windshield wiper

The windshield wiper isn’t a complex abdominal exercise, but good form is essential during this move to ensure you’re not putting any stress on your lower back. Move slowly and with control, and really think about engaging your abs throughout, sucking your belly button into your spine.

an illo of a woman doing the windshield wiper exercise

(Image credit: Shutterstock)
  • Start by lying on your back with your arms by your side, palms pressed into the ground.
  • Raise both of your legs to the ceiling and flex your feet.
  • Twist your hips to the left, taking your legs with them, keeping them straight as you lower your legs towards the ground on the left-hand side.
  • Pause here, then reverse the movement, lifting your legs back to your starting position, then rotate your hips to the right.
  • Keep switching sides. Move slowly, and keep your core engaged throughout. Your lower back should be pressed into the mat. If you feel your lower back peeling off the floor, reduce the range of motion.

What are the benefits?

“This is the best exercise for engaging your obliques and boosting hip mobility and stability,” says Sam Hopes, a personal trainer with years of experience working with clients of all ages. During the exercise, you’ll engage your upper and lower abs, as well as your internal and external obliques, which work hard to keep your torso still.

You’ll also be targeting the muscles in your lower back during this exercise, as the rotation mobilizes the lumbar spine, while also stretching and loosening the muscles in your back. As your legs move across your body, you’ll be rotating the head of the femur in your hip socket, helping to improve your hip mobility and relieve any tightness in this area.

Compared to sit-ups and crunches, you’ll be getting a lot out of this exercise. If you’re a complete beginner, start with your knees bent and your feet on the floor — you’ll still be working your obliques and doing a spinal twist, but gently.

As you progress, keep your knees bent, but raise your feet off the floor so that you’re in a tabletop position, with a 90-degree bend in your knee. This increases the weight on the core, without putting so much strain on your back.

Once straight leg windshield wipers feel easy (serious kudos), you can increase the intensity of this exercise by performing them on a pull-up bar. As you hand from the bar, lift your legs out in front of you, then rotate them from side to side — your core will be working seriously hard, but you’ll also be challenging your grip strength too.

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Jane McGuire
Jane McGuire
Fitness editor

Jane McGuire is Tom's Guide's Fitness editor, which means she looks after everything fitness related - from running gear to yoga mats. An avid runner, Jane has tested and reviewed fitness products for the past five years, so knows what to look for when finding a good running watch or a pair of shorts with pockets big enough for your smartphone. When she's not pounding the pavements, you'll find Jane striding round the Surrey Hills, taking far too many photos of her puppy. 

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