If endless planks and crunches aren’t your idea of a good time, there’s another way to get your core working: go for a walk.

No, walking isn’t going to build a six-pack on its own. But your core is already working whenever you walk, helping to stabilise your pelvis and torso as you move. Make a few simple adjustments to your route or technique and you can increase that demand without turning your daily walk into a full-blown workout.

Think of these as ways to make the walking you’re already doing work a little harder for you – not a replacement for direct core training.

1. Get Off the Pavement

If most of your walking takes place on flat pavements, changing the terrain is one of the simplest ways to increase the challenge.

Head onto trails, woodland paths or other uneven surfaces and your body has to make constant small adjustments to maintain your balance as the ground changes beneath you.

Your hips and ankles will be doing plenty of that work, but your core also has to stabilise your pelvis and torso as you navigate the uneven terrain.

As an added bonus, getting off-road can make your usual walk considerably less boring.

2. Add Some Load

Want to make walking harder without breaking into a run? Add some weight.

Rather than strapping weights to your ankles, try loading a backpack and turning your walk into a ruck. Start conservatively and gradually increase the load as you become accustomed to carrying it.

The additional weight increases the overall demand of your walk, while your core has to work to keep your torso stable and maintain your posture.

Alternatively, grab a dumbbell or kettlebell in one hand and perform short bouts of suitcase carries during your walk. The uneven load will challenge your core to resist being pulled sideways with every step.

3. Find Some Hills

There’s a reason walking uphill feels considerably harder than strolling along the flat.

An incline increases the demands on your legs and cardiovascular system, while your trunk muscles have to work to maintain your position as you climb.

Find a hilly route outdoors or increase the incline on a treadmill. If you’re using the latter, resist the temptation to hang onto the handles – doing so takes some of the work away from your body and changes the mechanics of the exercise.

Keep your torso controlled, maintain a natural stride and let the gradient do the work.

4. Pay Attention to Your Breathing

Your diaphragm and core muscles work together to help manage pressure and stabilise your trunk, making your breathing worth paying attention to while you walk.

Rather than sucking your stomach in or attempting to hold a constant abdominal contraction, focus on controlled, relaxed breaths while maintaining a strong posture.

As your walking pace increases, keeping your breathing controlled while your core stabilises your torso adds another layer to the challenge – without requiring you to consciously brace your abs for the entire walk.

Walking has plenty going for it. It’s accessible, easy to recover from and a straightforward way to increase your daily activity while improving your cardiovascular fitness.

And yes, your core is active while you walk – particularly when you introduce hills, uneven terrain or additional load.

But there’s a difference between using your abs and providing enough resistance to make them significantly stronger or more muscular.

If building your core is a priority, you’ll get better results by combining regular walking with progressive resistance exercises such as loaded carries, ab rollouts, hanging leg raises and cable work.

So keep the walks. Make them harder when you fancy a challenge. Just don’t convince yourself that 30 minutes around the park has made core day redundant.