Overview
Welcome to our page of core strengthening exercises. Scroll through this page to find core exercises included in our main video. By doing so, you'll be able to find step by step instructions to doing them, as well as benefits.
How to Engage Your Core
- Have a straight back & move your belly button towards your spine.
- Tighten the abdomen by hardening the core.
- Control breathing by slowly breathing in and out.
- Relax the neck & shoulders to fully engage the abdomen.
Crunches
- Start by lying down with your back on the floor.
- Bend your knees & plant feet on the floor, hips width apart.
- Place hands crossed against your chest, & while isolating your core, lift your upper body.
- Return to the lying position.
- TIP: Pretend to hold a tennis ball between your head & neck to refrain strain.
Benefits of Crunches
Crunches help tone the abdomen, lower back muscles, and obliques. Which in turn improves posture, increases flexibility and mobility of core muscles. A stronger core reduces back injuries later in life.
Bridges
- Start by lying down with your back on the floor.
- Bend your knees & plant feet on the floor, hips width apart & knees above your ankles.
- Place arms to the side, palms facing down for support.
- With your back planted against the ground, lift your hips, creating a line from your knees to your spine. Keep the core engaged.
Benefits of Bridges
The bridge exercise improves flexibility, reduces knee and back pain, strengthens the glutes, hamstrings, and erector spinae. Strengthening these can help improve sprints for faster speed and higher jumps.
Planks
- Start by placing hands shoulder width apart, forearms on the ground & elbows directly under the shoulders.
- Extend & straighten legs, hips width apart. Keep your head & back aligned, squeezing gluteus to maintain stability.
- Hold for 30 seconds to a minute or until you can no longer maintain proper form.
Benefits of Planks
Planks have been shown to improve spinal strain by building abdomen muscles. Strengthening abdominal muscles can help back ligaments to enhance support of body weight and prevent joint strain.
Russian Twists
- Start by sitting up straight on the floor.
- Bend your knees & plant feet on the floor, hips width apart.
- Elongate your body, changing your back alignment from 90 degrees to 45 degrees with the floor.
- Clasp hands in front of your chest while beginning to twists your torso to the left and right. Keep your neck neutral to only engage your core.
Benefits of Russian Twists
Russian twists build shoulder and core muscles (abdominis, internal, and external obliques) to help rotational movement. It helps burn excess fat stored in the abdomen and hips, which is directly correlated to developing comorbidities such as heart disease. Improvement of posture is also seen with maintaining this exercise.