Strengthening Your Body Core

I was complaining recently to my daughter (the Pilates instructor) that “my weak neck was hurting again”. She replied that I did not as I claimed “have a weak neck” but was instead suffering from weak abdominal muscles!  My poor neck was trying to compensate for what my abs couldn’t do.

Week abdominals muscles can cause extra strain not only to your neck but also your back. Often an aching back stems from the same scenario. Your abdominal muscles are weak and your poor back is trying to compensate.

Weak abdominal and core muscles can also lead to serious falls. We all make a mis-step or trip from time to time. But if your core muscles are strong and toned you will correct yourself and regain your balance. Many of the serious fall injuries people suffer are due to weak core muscles. People lose their balance and not having the strength to make a correction they tumble all the way to the hard floor and incur injury.

Yanhee hospital shares the following benefits to strengthening your core muscles (the obliques, abdominals, lower back, and the glutes.)

Stabilize the Lower Back- Core exercises make the lower back stronger and healthier. With a stronger back, you will be less prone to lower back pain that is usually a result of carrying too much weight, or pressure on the lower back. By enhancing the body’s weight-bearing capabilities, back muscles and ligaments will not easily be damaged by heavy weight. Moreover, a stronger core will allow for normal spinal functions.

Improve Balance and Coordination- As the back and abdominal area becomes stronger, the body also experiences an improvement in balance and coordination. Doing core exercises stimulates a particular area in the brain called the cerebellum that links to body parts for coordination, spatial awareness, and balance. These exercises are not simply a workout for the body, but also for the brain.

Enhance Flexibility- While most people find it hard to believe that working out abdominal muscles can improve flexibility, core exercises can certainly do wonders for ligaments and muscles by stabilizing the lower back. When the back is stabilized, stress and tension are removed, thus allowing for greater range of motion, which in turn results in enhanced flexibility.

Promote Better Breathing- Another benefit of core exercises is improved lung capacity. Core muscles are connected to the diaphragm so working out these muscle groups will enhance one’s ability to inhale and exhale fully. If the body is able to take in more oxygen, the heart is able to pump more blood, so there will be a significant improvement in the overall performance of the body.

Strengthen the Body- It is not only the abdominals and the lower back that core exercises can strengthen. They can also make the entire body stronger. Evidence to this is when you engage in physical activities or sports. After doing several core exercise workouts, you will find that your sports-playing capabilities will be much better. Whether it is surfing, running, skiing, or cycling, you will see tremendous improvement in how you play these sports.

Core exercises should definitely be a part of your exercise routine. Aside from being a good workout for your abdominal muscles, they also benefit your physical health in more ways than you can imagine. They improve flexibility, strengthen abs and the entire body, reduce lower back problems, and promote breathing and lung capacity. 

So you have guessed it. Our challenge for Week # 2 is to spend at least 10 minutes each day doing Core body exercises. You can claim 5 bonus points each day for a total of 6 days to earn 30 bonus points this week doing core exercise.  (And yes you can count this toward your daily requirement of 60 minutes of exercise). You can try some of those listed below or find your own with a google or youtube search. (If you are new to working out your core muscles search for “Beginning core exercises") I am hoping that this is a challenge you will add to those you continue throughout and beyond our 8 weeks together.

Here are some suggested exercises:

Move 1: Knee Fold Tuck

(A) Sit tall, hands on floor, knees bent, squeezing a playground ball between them. (B) Lift knees so shins are about parallel to the floor; extend arms. Pull knees toward shoulders, keeping upper body still. Bring knees back to starting position. Repeat 15 to 20 times.

Move 2: Climbing Rope

(A) Sit with legs extended, feet turned out in a V position, toes pointed. Contract core muscles and roll spine into a C-curve. (B) Lift arms and move them as if you were climbing a rope. Twist slightly with each reach. Do 20 reaches with each arm.

Move 3: Side Balance Crunch

(A) Begin with left knee and left hand on the floor, right arm straight up. Extend right leg so your body forms a straight line. (B) Pull right knee toward torso and right elbow toward knee. Straighten arm and leg. Repeat 10 times, then switch sides.

Move 4: Circle Plank

Start in a plank position with abs tight. (A) Pull right knee in and circle it clockwise, then (B) counterclockwise. Keep the rest of your body stationary. Repeat five times, then switch legs

Move 5: Sliding Pike

(A) Begin in a plank on an uncarpeted floor, hands under shoulders and a towel under feet. (B) With legs straight, raise hips and draw legs toward hands into a pike position—your feet should slide easily. Hold for one count, then return to start. Repeat 10 times.

Move 6: Oblique Reach

Sit with knees bent and feet on floor. (A) Straighten right leg. Roll spine into a C-curve. Place left hand behind head and extend right arm. (B) Twist body to the left, roll back a bit more (and hold for one count), then come up. Do five reps, then switch sides.

Losing weight can be such a long journey and like any journey it can be more enjoyable with a friend along. While we don’t require that you and your fitness partner live in the same town, there is still much you can do to help encourage and inspire each other to accomplish your healthy living goals.

Here are some ways your partner can be of help to you (and you for her!)

* Call when cravings are at their worst: When you’re having an insatiable urge to dive into a bowl of ice-cream or head for the couch with a bowl of potato chips, phone your friend to get the encouragement for healthier choices.

*Swap for inspiration: Boredom can drive you to hop off the healthy wagon, so spice things up by swapping healthy recipes, strength training tips, fitness DVDs, workout ideas, health magazines, and running playlists courtesy of your fellow fit-minded pal.

*Set up weekly exercise dates: If you live in the same town, why not get together for a yoga class, a long walk or a bike ride? But even if you aren’t located in the same community you can connect by cell phone and share a long walk . Making a commitment to someone else that you will exercise daily can add incentive to follow through.

*Create healthy living goals together: Whether you both want to lose a certain number of pounds during our competition, add daily exercise into your life or even just learn to drink a lot of water each day, having someone to share your goals with will help you both achieve them. Make sure and share with your partner not only what your personal healthy living goals are but why you desire to achieve them. This will help you bond as a team.

*Share your food journal every night: It keeps you both accountable when another pair of eyes is reading the list of food eaten that day. This can also give you ideas of healthy foods that work well toward your healthful goals. There is a sharing option on myfitnesspal.com or you can just text or e-mail each other what you eat.

Your weekly challenge for the first week of our competition is:

1. Weigh and measure yourself Wednesday morning- Day #1 and write down your beginning statistics. 

2. Make sure you have read the Rules, FAQ's and Report tabs so you know what things you need to be tracking every day of the competition.

3. Phone, talk in person or E-mail your healthy living partner and share with her your specific healthful goals for this round of competition and why they mean so much to you.

4. If you do not already have a myfitnesspal.com account set one up before Wednesday.

5. If you do not yet have any friends on myfitnesspal.com friend at least 3 people

6. Make a plan to share what you eat daily and how you have exercised with your partner (throughout the competition) . The easiest way to do this is to go to myfitnesspal.com and choose settings/ choose Diary settings/ and set your diary sharing either to public or friends. This way your partner can check your daily food intake and exercise.

7. For this week enjoy contact (text, phone, in person, e-mail, instagram, tweet, smoke signal, carrier pigeon) with your partner daily. Encourage one another to develop all the healthy habits.

If you do ALL of these things you can claim the 35 weekly bonus points for Week #1

Beautiful Abs and a strong core

Yikes it is time for a work-out challenge and I have decided to focus on some dreaded abs exercises.

According to Shape Magazine, “We all want a toned, flat stomach. But since many women are still relying on crunches to get it, we want to make one thing clear: Crunching is not the most effective abs workout. "Crunches work only the muscles on the front and sides of your abdomen, but it's important to target all the muscles of the core to get more defined abs—including lower back, hips, and upper thighs."

Instead Shape Magazine suggests "Core exercises like the plank help train muscles to stabilize the spine and pelvis so you can avoid back pain and improve posture, Schuler says. "They also burn more calories than crunches because they work more muscles."

Since planks are one of the most effective ways to get a good ab work out I would recommend you start a daily plan challenge like this one and continue it after our competition has ended.

If you find doing a full plank too difficult you might want to begin with one of these modifications

The knee elbow plank

or The Wall Plank

Along with a regular plank the following are extremely helpful in getting your abs into shape.

SIDE PLANK

Why it works: This abs exercise is more challenging than a traditional plank because you're supporting your entire body weight on two points of contact instead of four. As a result, you must work your core harder to stay stabilized.

How to do it:
A. Lie on your left side with your elbow directly beneath your shoulder and legs stacked. Place your right hand on your left shoulder or on your right hip.

B. Brace your abs and lift your hips off the floor until you're balancing on your forearm and feet so that your body forms a diagonal line. Hold for 30 to 45 seconds. If you can’t hold that long, stay up as long as you can and then repeat until you’ve held for 30 seconds total. Switch sides and repeat.

WALKOUT FROM PUSHUP POSITION

Why it works: This abs exercise involves full-body movement, such as the arms and legs, while incorporating resistance to strengthen your entire core.

How to do it:
A. Start in pushup position with hands two inches wider than your shoulders.

B. Walk hands out as far as possible, then walk back. Do 10-12 reps.

Why it works: This abs exercise uses your entire core to keep your body stabilized and burns additional calories by adding movement (dragging yourself along the floor). It mixes cardio, stability, and strength training to get you fast results.

Alligator Drag

(* You tube has some great videos of how to do this one)

How to do it:
A. Find a stretch of floor that allows you to go forward 10 to 20 yards, and grab anything that will slide over the surface with minimal friction. Dinner plates or plastic bags work on a carpeted floor, while towels work on wood or tile.

B. Start in pushup position with your feet on the slides, towels, or plates.

C. Walk yourself forward with your hands to the end of your runway (aim for at least 10 yards). Rest for 60 to 90 seconds (or as long as you need to recover) and repeat the alligator walk back to where you started. That’s one set. Repeat one more time.

I realize that some of these AB exercises might be beyond your ability (for now!) If they are, do a google search for Beginner Ab exercises and find something more appropriate for your abilities. We must always start where we are to journey to where we want to be.

For every day that you do some type of ab exercises (at least do some kind of plank as assigned in the chart above) this week you earn 5 daily bonus challenge points. Happy abbing ladies!