Don’t limit your challenges. Challenge your limits. – Jerry Dunn
On side-by-side Cadillacs in the Pilates studio, my daughter and I were engaged in a series of warm-up core exercises. We started with the 100 and moved through the sequence. Don’t be daunted by the photo — we had both been doing Pilates for a while. It’s a great method for building strength and maintaining flexibility. But it’s not the only method.
Strong core muscles make it easier to engage in other physical activities. There are exercises you can adopt into your routine without going to the gym. Check out this slide show of exercises to improve your core strength on the Mayo Clinic site:
“Your core muscles are mobilized in flexion, extension, rotation, abdominal bracing, pelvic tilting, and even the way your shoulder blades move,” said certified personal trainer Brian Abarca, CPT, owner of Abarca Fitness in New Jersey. “People usually think of abs when referring to the core, but our core is actually made up of a much more complex network of muscles found in the trunk of our body.”
Click the link to the 26 Abs Exercise link at Self.com.
10 minute Core Strength from beginner to advanced levels on the Peloton app.
During the pandemic lockdown, when our Pilates studio was closed, I used my Peloton app to sort through a multitude of programs. The app is inexpensive (at this writing $14.99 per month) and works on my iPhone as well as my computer — so it’s portable. There are 950 different core classes that range from 10 to 30 minutes in length at beginner through advanced levels taught by various instructors.
I have returned to my Pilates studio in person and I continue to use the Peloton app for strength training.
Let’s challenge ourselves! Send me a photo of you in action! It’s time for all of us to get to the core of our strength and fitness!
♥ Susan L. Ward
Integrative Nutrition Health Coach