Yoga For Your Health

Core strengthening exercises and core stability exercises are essential to your general health, and to your workout program.

Every day, our daily activities are filled with all kinds of abuses to our back. We twist, turn, bend, pick up things incorrectly. Most of us spend almost all day sitting for our jobs. In order for our core muscles to adequately support our back and internal organs, they have to be in pretty good shape. As soon as we start to get lax in our efforts to stay in shape, our back begins to “talk” to us. Bending over becomes a chore, we hurt all the time, and life becomes more and more miserable.

And in the weightroom, if we ever get there, we are at risk for straining the low back with every move we make.

So we know we need to do some core strengthening exercises, but what are some good ones?

* Pilates. Get in with the girls and do Pilates! Now, for some reason, Pilates has a sort of wimpy reputation, but I know first hand that a good Pilates routine will kick some serious behind! I’ve gotten a lot stronger core since I incorporated Pilates-type exercises into my regular workout routine.

* The Farmer’s Walk. Wait… the what? That’s right, Farmer’s Walk. Pick up two heavy somethings, like dumbbells, and walk across the room and then back again. You will work your arms, hands, shoulders, upper and lower back, legs, and your core ” like crazy, just to keep upright and balanced.

* The Wood Chopper. Hold a medicine ball in both hands over your head and off to one side. Then, as if you were chopping wood, swing it down and over toward the opposite foot. Then swing it back up along the same path. Do that several times, and switch sides. Make sure you use your legs and hips to help keep your back from bending too much.

* Saxon Bends. These are tough. Take that ball again, or a weight plate if you need more weight, and hold it over your head. Now bend over to one side, without bending your back from front to back. You’re just going side to side. When you’ve gone as far over as you can, head on over to the other side. Back to center again is one.

These exercises are a great warmup for a weight training workout. They’ll warm up the whole body, and you can step away from the treadmill. Or, just devote a whole workout to core strengthening exercises; your back will thank you!