Category Archives: Core training

Fitness Guru: 6 key daily exercises for core and flexibility

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  • By CONNIE ARONSON #fitnessguru

Daily habits can be powerful. Routine builds structure, helps us stay on track and use our time wisely. Adding a simple mini exercise program to your day is one way to succeed. For many of us, we’re missing some key exercises that can keep us flexible, injury-free and improve function. Here are six top core and flexibility exercises that will enhance your athletic performance. Whether you are a seasoned athlete, or simply just enjoy being active and don’t want to get injured, incorporate these moves into your day.

Activate the core: Heel-on-toe crunch

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
The heel-on-toe crunch targets the abdominals while limiting spine movement.
Photo courtesy of Connie Aronson

The core muscles help stabilize the spine and support movement. The following two core exercises build muscular fitness, have minimal movement, and are far more effective than a standard sit-up. To a viewer, it might not look like you’re doing much of anything, writes Stuart McGill in his book, “Back Mechanic,†but with proper technique, you should feel like you’re working.

  • Begin with your legs straight, left heel on top of right foot.
  • Bring your left hand behind your head for support, and lift your right arm straight up from your shoulder.
  • Curl up, raising your head, neck and shoulder blades off the mat, tightening your abdominals.
  • Hold for 10 seconds.
  • Slowly return to the start position. Six reps.

Side-lying hip lift

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Side-lying hip lift. If you have a sensitive spine, bring the top foot ahead of the bottom foot.
Photo courtesy of Connie Aronson
  • To regress the move, lift from bent knees.
  • Lying on your right side with your top leg stacked, place your right elbow under your right shoulder.
  • Exhale and lift your right hip off the floor.
  • Hold for 10 counts.
  • Slowly lower to start. 6-8 reps. Switch sides.

Wall hamstring stretch

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Wall hamstring Stretch. Slide the hips further down the wall for a greater range of motion.
You can increase the stretch, and involve more gastrocnemius, by taking the outside leg across the body.

The wall hamstring stretch is an effective way to stretch your hamstrings. The stability of the wall and prone position help you relax deeper into the stretch, and you can easily adjust the intensity by moving your hips further or closer to the wall. Tight hamstrings may be a sign of imbalances, such as an anterior pelvic tilt or tracking problems of the knee. The hamstrings start at the sit bones and attach on either side of the lower leg. The muscles act as guide ropes on the legs as the foot rolls inward or outward (pronation and supination).

  • Lie on the floor with the stretching leg on the corner of a wall or doorframe, with the other leg flat on the floor, heeled flexed.
  • Use a pillow for your neck if needed.
  • Move the hips closer or further from the wall to adjust the intensity.
  • Keep the bottom leg straight. If you can’t, bend the bottom knee.
  • Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and repeat two to three cycles on each leg. Tip: Squeezing the quads will increase the stretch.

Foam roller alignment

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.

Reset your alignment every day by lying on a foam roller.

Lying lengthwise on a foam roller not only feels good but encourages good spinal length. If you’re hunched over with age, or are guilty of bending forward while scrolling on your phone, it can result in a “forward head.†For every inch that your head is forward, there’s 10 more pounds of pressure on the neck. Lengthening the lumbar erector spinal muscles helps encourage neutral alignment and good posture.

  • With your knees bent, lie on a roller, head supported and neck in a neutral position.
  • Tighten the abdominals.
  • Gently roll side to side for 20-30 seconds, two to three times.

Foam roller thoracic spine

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Foam roller thoracic spine Photo courtesy of Connie Aronson

Using a foam roller on your thoracic spine helps upper back stiffness, as you can target the rhomboids and trapezius muscles. Rolling is a self-myofascial release technique that immediately relaxes sore spots and movement restrictions, allowing soft tissue and inflamed joints to rest and recover.

  • Place a foam roller under your shoulder blades or at bra height.
  • Support your head and tuck your chin.
  • Bend your knees, tilt the pelvis slightly and lift your hips and pelvis off the floor.
  • Gently roll on any tight or sore spots for 20-30 seconds.

Prayer stretch

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Prayer stretch . Perform prayer stretch immediately after you’ve finished foam rolling any sore spots on the upper back. Photo courtesy of Connie Aronson
  • Kneel on the floor with your hands on a roller.
  • Slowly extend your arms forward, letting your chest move toward the floor.
  • Relax in the stretch for 20-30 seconds and repeat two to three times.
  • If you don’t have a roller, walk your hands forward, fully extending your arms, allowing your head to rest gently on the floor.

Check out https://www.mtexpress.com/wood_river_journal/features/fitness-guru-6-key-daily-exercises-for-core-and-flexibility/article_41acafc6-df2f-11ef-b349-9fac77851449.html

Fitness Guru : Spare your spine with smart core core work

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A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Plank with shoulder abduction- an example of a smart core exercise that spares the spine and creates “core stiffness”.

When you’re working on your core, choose exercises that enhance spine control and increase muscle endurance. Don’t make the mistake of using only exercises that move the spine, like sit-ups or roll-downs.

Social media is loaded with core workouts, but are mostly concerned with having ripped abs, and often ignore the real role of the core. Consider training the core differently than you might have been coached or are used to, in that you want to limit spine motion.

Your spine is very different from every other joint in your body, as it allows both movement and stability. The spine allows for tremendous mobility, as it has 33 individually stacked bones, each separated by a disc. But the spine is not a free-standing pillar. Rather, it is more like a radio tower composed of guy wires to stabilize it. The function of these guy wires is similar to that of the numerous muscles and ligaments that wrap around our spinal column: They provide tremendous strength and support, notes Dr. Stuart McGill, one of the most widely acclaimed spine researchers in the world.

Each muscle of your core, all 29 of them, must provide a certain amount of tension and stiffness for the spine to remain strong and resilient. It’s not that spine movement is bad, but we want to limit it when lifting or loading a flexed back. You’ll diminish chances of your spine buckling or getting injured by incorporating spine stiffness in your core work.

I’ve worked with numerous athletes who appear strong, yet when it comes to performing functional strength moves, their core foundation is actually quite weak. Elite athletes all over the world all rely on core stiffness as the center of power. Enhance your overall core strength and posture by sparing excess bending of the back, in your core work, and throughout the day.

Pallof Press with isometric hold

The Pallof Press starts with a load held isometrically at arm’s length. In this move, using a cable machine, the arms extend and retract throughout the movement, gradually changing the length of the lever arm, then adds a 2- or 3-second isometric hold. A top-notch move, this exercise increases the involvement of the stabilizers of both the shoulders and the core. The Pallof press is an excellent example of multiplanar core movement, unlike the days of only training muscle isolation.

  • Preset the cable’s line of pull to shoulder’s height and set the weight to a reasonable resistance.
  • Stand on one leg, perpendicular to the cable line of pull.
  • Grasp the handle with both hands and hold in front of the chest.
  • Brace the core , depress the shoulders, and extend the hands in front of the body and back toward the body. 8-12 reps; adding a 2- to 3-second hold at full arm extension.
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Pallof Press, using a cable machine; standing on one leg. There are many variables in this move, such as performing it in a kneeling position, or in a neutral stance.

Stir the Pot

  • Start in a plank position, with your forearms securely resting on a physioball, hands flat.
  • Brace the core, and extend the arms out and away from you, and back again, as if you were stirring a big spoon in a pot.
  • Circle the ball in one direction for 30 seconds,
  • Rest, and circle the ball in the other direction for 30 seconds.
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Stir the pot. Variables include making bigger circles with your arm drive, or “shaking” the ball back and forth.

Published in The Idaho Mountain Express, November 15, 2024

https://www.mtexpress.com/wood_river_journal/features/fitness-guru-spare-your-spine-with-smart-core-work/article_9970b89c-a208-11ef-a9be-5f37a072142a.html

5 essential exercises you need

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Daily habits can be powerful. Routine anchors us and builds resilience and health. Adding a routine or mini-structure to your day so that fewer decisions need to be made is one way to succeed. When it comes to your health, preventing injuries in any activity you enjoy is crucial. Here are five injury-preventing exercises to put on your habit list that don’t take up too much time. Whether you are a seasoned athlete, or simply just enjoy being active but don’t want to get hurt, incorporate these moves into your day.

Activate the core: Heel on toe crunch

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.

A demonstration of the heel-on-toe crunch. Photo courtesy of Connie Aronson

The core muscles help stabilize the spine and support movement. The following two core exercises have minimal movement, and are far more effective than a standard sit-up. The heel-on-toe crunch spares the back, while building muscular fitness. You begin the crunch by stiffening the abdominal muscles and slightly raising the head and shoulders off the ground. Count to 10, then lower back down to the starting position. To a viewer it might not look like you’re doing much of anything, says Stuart McGill, but with proper technique, you should feel like you’re working.

  • Begin with your legs straight, left heel on top of right foot.
  • Bring your left hand behind your head for support, and lift your right arm straight up from your shoulder.
  • Curl up, raising your head, neck and shoulder blades off mat, tightening your abdominals.
  • Slowly return to the start position. 10 reps. Switch sides.

Side lying hip lift

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.


A demonstration of the side-lying hip lift. Photo courtesy of Connie Aronson

  • Lying on your right side with your knees bent (or straight for advanced variation), place your right elbow under your right shoulder. Push your shoulder away from your ear to engage the shoulder girdle.
  • Avoid letting your rib cage slump toward floor; maintain natural curve of spine.
  • Exhale and lift your right hip off floor. Hold for 10 counts.
  • Slowly lower to start. 6-8 reps. Switch sides.

Stretch tight hamstrings

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.


A demonstration of a hamstring stretch using a yoga strap.

Tightness in the back of your legs may be a sign of instability in your core, causing the leg muscles to overwork and shorten. As well, hamstrings are an important muscle to stretch if you have back pain, as they attach to the pelvis, which attaches to the back. An excellent stretch to ease the tension in the back of your legs is the hamstring stretch using a strap.

  • Lie on your back and place a yoga strap or rope under one foot, with the other leg straight, on the floor, heel flexed.
  • Slowly extend the leg toward straight.
  • If it is too difficult to completely straighten the leg, bend the opposite leg.

Foam roller alignment

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
Screenshot

Lying lengthwise on a foam roller not only feels good but encourages good spinal length. We’re all guilty of bending forward while scrolling on our phones, resulting in a “forward head.†For every inch that your head is forward there’s 10 more pounds of pressure on the neck. Reset your alignment every day by lying on a foam roller. Lengthening the lumbar erector spinal muscles helps encourage neutral alignment and good posture.

  • With your knees bent, lie on a roller, head supported and neck in a neutral position.
  • Tighten the abdominals.
  • Gently roll side to side for 20-30 seconds.

The sock test

A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.
A demonstration of the one-legged sock test.Photo courtesy of Connie Aronson
A woman is stretching on the floor with another person.

Losing your balance as you get older is no joke. Research has shown that the ability to stand on one foot drastically decreases after the age of 60, along with a rapid increase of falls and injury. The ability to stand on one leg is imperative for gait and function.

The sock test takes the exercise a step further. Practicing it is a fun challenge to build strength capacity and balance.

  • Holding a sock, stand on one leg, knee slightly bent.
  • Bring your right leg up toward you as you put your sock on
  • Lower the leg to the floor and repeat with your left foot.

https://www.mtexpress.com/wood_river_journal/features/5-essential-exercises-you-need/article_ddf5020a-75dc-11ef-b697-a329b921bf01.html#tncms-source=article-nav-next

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