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Since it is possible many of you have not done strenuous exercise in sometime and have advanced in age like myself, I believe increasing your stability is an important first step subsequent to the stretching exercises. So today I will provide some activities that will increase you balance and strengthen your core. Strengthening your core is important because it is involved in everything we do. Think about when either your back or stomach is bothering you and the impact it has on physical activity. Not pleasant is it? Everything is a bit more difficult, you move slower, and the lack of comfort is ever present.
Strengthening your core will also reduce your waist line since you will build muscle in that area. A more important reason to strengthen your core, the area between your hips and ribs, is these muscles stabilize your spine. When they weaken you can also expect to suffer back pain. These muscles are hard for the contemporary person to find because you can not see or feel them working but as you strengthen them over time you will notice the difference in how you feel and improve your ability to maintain good posture.
Equipment Required: Exercise Ball and Mat
Sitting Balance
- Sit on the ball hip width apart.
- Raise one leg and hold for 5 seconds (increase over time as you improve)
- Put the foot down and lift the other foot.
- Complete 15 reps = 1 set
- Do 3 sets
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Basic Bridge
- Lie on your back with your arms by your side
- Place your feet on the ball so that it is resting under your calf muscles.
- Slowly Lift your hips off the floor, while contracting your abdominal and gluteal muscles until your body is diagonal from shoulders to knees. Hold for 5 seconds
- Complete 15 reps = 1 set.
- Do 3 sets.
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Basic Bridge with Leg Lifts
- Lie on your back with your arms by your side
- Place your feet on the ball so that it is resting under your calf muscles.
- Slowly lift your hips off the floor using, while contracting your abdominal and gluteal muscles until your body is diagonal from shoulders to knees
- Lift one leg off of the ball while maintaining bend in the knee. Hold for 5 seconds.
- Complete 15 reps = 1 set.
- Do 3 sets.
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High Bridge
- Lie on your back with your arms by your sides and your knees bent.
- Place your feet on top of the ball and contract your abdominal and gluteal muscles to lift your hips, keeping your knees bent until your body is diagonal from knees to shoulders. Hold for 5 seconds.
- Complete 15 reps = 1 set
- Do 3 sets
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Reverse Bridge
- Sit on the ball with your hands by your sides and feet hip width apart.
- Contract your abdominal and gluteal muscles and walk your feet forward, rolling your hips down and lying back on the ball as you do. Stop when you reach your shoulders keeping your knees bent at a 90 angle. Hold for 5 seconds.
- Walk your feet in reverse until you return to a sitting position.
- Complete 15 reps = 1 set.
- Do 3 sets.
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Basic Abdominal Exercises
Preparing Your Abdominals
- Place the ball against a wall and lie on the floor with your feet on the ball and your knees bent.
- Place a folded towel or small pillow between your legs.
- Very gently breathe in through your nose. As you breathe out slowly focus on your stomach muscles pulling down to the floor. Squeeze the towel or pillow with your thighs.
- This will contract your deep internal muscles.
- Hold for 5 seconds and release.
- Complete 15 reps = 1 set.
- Do 3 sets.
Crunches
- Lie on your back with both heels resting on the ball, your hips and knees at an angle and your arms resting on the floor.
- Contract your abdominal muscles and breathe steadily.
- Nod your chin while head is still on the floor. Lift your head bending the upper body and raising your arms parallel to the floor. Use your abdominal muscles to lift not your back or your hands.
- Hold for 5 seconds
- Complete 15 reps = 1 set
- Do 3 sets
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Side Crunches (Obliques/Love Handles)
- Lie on one side with the ball beneath you and your feet against a wall, one in front of the other.
- Cross your arms over your chest and slowly lift your upper torso from the ball.
- Hold for 5 seconds.
- Complete 15 reps = 1 set.
- Do 3 sets for the right and left side.
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Seated Crunches
- Sit on the ball with feet on the floor hip width apart. Walk your feet forward until your lower back is supported by the ball.
- Slowly bring your shoulders forward by contracting your abdominal muscles tightly.
- Hold for 5 seconds
- Complete 15 reps = 1 set.
- Do 3 sets.
These exercises will increase strength and balance in your core using muscle you do not use frequently so it may seem difficult at first but do not give up. Start slow the number of repetitions and sets listed above are a reasonable goal not the starting point. You may be able to do only a few at first but if consistent and persistent you will get better over time as you core muscles strengthen.
So I recommend you Get Up Get Moving and Give It A Try because.....
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