FIT BLOG:
|
|
It's time to challenge your CORE muscles so you can have better posture, power, and overall performance. Hopefully you've been using the CORE FLOW MOVES to wake/warm up your core muscles at the start of your day or before workouts. Here's a sequence that'll help you keep building a strong core.  GETTING STARTED: During the exercises:
6 CORE POWER MOVESWork through these 6 CORE POWER MOVES in the following sequence: 1. Planks- Hands shoulder width apart and feet hip width apart. Press your hands down into the floor, slide your shoulders down toward your hips, scoop your belly and tuck your booty. Gaze at the floor slightly in front of your hands. Modify if needed on elbows and knees. Progress to straight arms and legs. Hold 30-90 seconds. 2. Push Ups- Drop knees to floor and hands slightly wider than shoulders and closer to chest level than the plank position. Scoop your belly and lower your chest toward the floor. Press back up into starting position. Modify if needed with hands on incline (like edge of sofa, bench or counter). Progress to the floor with knees bent then with knees off the floor. Repeat: 10-20 reps. 3. Bird Dog- Reach opposite arm & leg (right arm and left leg) while keeping your spine and hips steady. You can slide or reach your hand and opposite foot on the floor vs off the floor to modify the pose. You can also just reach your arm or leg to modify then progress to both at same time. Do 5-10 reps or hold for a few breaths on each side. Slowing it down and holding is more challenging to stabilize than lots of reps. Progress to making small (orange size) circles with hand and foot each direction while reaching & keeping spine and hips steady. 4. Dead Bug Leg Lowers- Lie on your back. Knees bent. Engage your belly muscles and lift legs to table top position. Arms reaching to ceiling. Slowly lower one foot to the floor as you reach the opposite arm overhead. Switch sides. Inhale to prepare to move. Exhale and move/lower/reach leg and arm. Modify - do one leg or arm at a time. Progress to lowering a straight leg. Only go as far as you can without losing neutral spine position. If you pooch your belly, you are going to low or fast. Slow down and do small controlled movements. Do 5-10 reps each side. 5. Side Plank- Line up head, shoulder, hips, feet on one side. Place your forearm on the floor and lift hips toward the ceiling. Modify- legs bent. Progress- legs and/or bottom arm straight. Hold 10-30 seconds. Switch sides. 6. Downward Dog- Move into position from a plank position- press chest toward your thighs and imagine your inner thighs connecting as you reach long through your head and heels thru the floor. Hold 10-20 seconds. >>Reminders:
OVER TO YOU Add these 6 CORE POWER MOVES to your workout line up each week. They'll help challenge your core and stabilizer muscles to decrease your risk for injury, promote good posture, and improve coordination & power during functional activities especially sports. Listen to your body. It'll tell you what it needs to feel, move, perform better.  P.S. Want more support with building a Strong, Balanced Core? Check out Hip Camp: 
0 Comments
How's it going using the CORE FLOW MOVES to start your day or prep for workouts? It's been about 2 weeks so you should be feeling more connected throughout your core if you've been doing them at least 3 times a week. Your core muscles like and need regular reminders to turn on. They can struggle if you've had any previous injuries to the area. Pain or tightness in your shoulders, spine, and/or hips can make it harder on your core muscles as well. If you find yourself holding your breath or you feel tension or clenching in your neck or glut muscles when you do core exercises, then you'll want to prep before your core workouts. Start with a Pelvic Floor Check In. Remember your Pelvic Floor Muscles (PF) are the base and foundation of your Core. When strong and healthy, they coordinate with the diaphragm and abdominals as you inhale and exhale during physical activity to support and stabilize the spine. If you've got PF weakness, it might show up as
You may not have issues with a cough or sneeze (forced exhalation) but leak after running 20 minutes (dysfunctional breathing or endurance issue). If you're having signs of PF weakness, it's time to do some Pelvic Floor Prep Work. These FIT Blogs will walk you through it: PELVIC FLOOR STRETCH MOVES PELVIC FLOOR STRENGTH MOVES If you're pain-free, you can jump ahead to this FIT Blog for some core prep tips. PREP FOR CORE WORKOUTS OVER TO YOU Work through these PF and CORE PREP MOVES to address any weakness in your fascia and to strengthen your postural (stabilizer) muscles. A strong core helps decrease your risk for injury, promotes good posture, and improves coordination & power during activities especially sports. Next up, I'll share some CORE POWER MOVES to challenge your core. In the meantime, keep going with the CORE PREP & FLOW MOVES. You'll feel and move better if you do them regularly.   It's time to give your CORE muscles some love and attention. Your CORE muscles are a complex series of muscles from arm pits to hips that help keep the spine aligned during movement. They're involved in almost every movement you make. You need them for all your daily activities and definitely for sports. They protect, support, and stabilize your spine helping you have better posture, power, and overall performance. Your core muscles need to be turned on and challenged regularly so the body doesn't start to compensate with other muscle groups. Here's a sequence that'll help you do that.  FOCUS ON FORM During all movements, you want to:
>>There should be no pain especially in your wrist, neck, back and knees when doing these exercises properly. STOP if you feel pain. You can get sore from them but sharp pain is never OK. If you have pain, modify and look at your form. If that helps, keep going. If it doesn't, STOP. CORE MOVES: 1. TWIST & GLUT STRETCH- do on each side; if you need instructions on how to do them - go here. Hold for a few breaths each side. 2. BRIDGE- lift hips up and down while lifting your belly up and in. Keep hips level and neck/shoulders relaxed. Have equal weight on front and back of your feet. Modify- legs together or with a ball between knees Do 8-10 reps. 3. PLANK- Hands shoulder width apart and feet hip width apart. Press your hands down into the floor, slide your shoulders down toward your hips, scoop your belly and tuck your booty. Gaze at the floor slightly in front of your hands. Modify if needed on elbows and knees. Progress to straight arms and legs. Hold 20-60 seconds. 4. DOWNWARD DOG- Move into position from the plank- press chest toward your thighs and imagine your inner thighs connecting as you reach long through your head and heels thru the floor. Hold 10-20 seconds. 5. PLANK- move back into a plank position. Hold 20-60 seconds. Repeat Plank into Downward Dog into Plank at least 3 times 6. PIGEON STRETCH- when ready- end with a pigeon stretch on each leg.  OVER TO YOU You can use these CORE FLOW MOVES to wake/warm up your core muscles at the start of your day or before workouts for better posture, power, and overall performance. If you've had a back injury or have really tight hips, slow down and spend more time on the Twist and Glut Stretches. Start and end on your tight side (i.e. tightest side gets 2 stretches for every 1 stretch on the other side). You may also want to use the trigger point massage ball in your glut before you begin the Core Flow Moves. Listen to your BODY. It'll tell you what it needs to feel, move, & perform better.  Spring is a great time to do a check in on how “aligned” you're feeling in different areas of your life. What's blooming (or not) so far this year for you? Remember you’ll feel ease, flow, & relaxation in your body (& life) when you’re in alignment whether it’s for your posture or your purpose. It's never too late to course correct if you're off track or took an accidental detour on your fitness goals. When it comes to your posture, you want to start with creating space. You need to overcome the compressive forces that gravity, aging, sitting, and even exercise have on your tissue and joints. How? Through daily stretch moves that help you lengthen through your fascia (connective tissue) and spine. A great stretch tool for this is an exercise ball. The surface can support your spine while you stretch up and over it. You can also add some gentle rocking motions while you stretch with it which is super calming to your nervous system. Use these 3 BALL STRETCH MOVES to help open up your shoulders, hips, and low back for better posture & core mobility.  You can do the STRETCH MOVES for a few breaths to a few minutes. Add gentle rocking if it feels relaxing. Child's Pose on the Ball is a great one to do before bed. Move the ball slowly to each side to get a deeper stretch through your lat and core side muscles. Caution!!! *always protect your neck- you may need to support your head/neck with your hands like you would for an abdominal crunch especially if you have had a neck injury. Imagine a string pulling from the top of your head so you keep your neck long (not crunched). *if you get dizzy in any of the positions, support your head/neck with your hands and make sure you aren’t holding your breath. Stop if that doesn't help relieve it. OVER TO YOU Remember our fascia takes the shape of the thing we do most during the day. Do these BALL STRETCH Moves after sitting long periods or at the end of your workouts or day. You can also use these BALL STRENGTH Moves before you stretch over it. Find more ways to traction while you stretch here so you can make lasting changes to your posture and flexibility.  P.S. Want a full body daily massage & stretch routine that takes less than 10 minutes? Check out MINI Massage Camp here.
Ready to have a BALL getting stronger? Let’s challenge your Stabilizer Muscles with these 3 BALL STRENGTH MOVES. They’ll not only help you have stronger legs and core muscles but lead to better Posture.  Bridge Legs on Ball: Basic Move- Lie on your back (on the floor). Arms at your side. Legs in Level 1 or 2 position. Lift hips to ceiling. Hold 5-10 seconds. Lower hips. Repeat 5-10 reps for 1-3 sets. Level 1- Legs straight and together with lower legs and heels on the ball. The less of your lower legs are on the ball, the harder it is to stabilize. Keep the ball as steady as you can while you move. Engage your core muscles. Don’t forget to breathe! Level 2- Bend your knees and place the bottom of your feet on ball as you lift and lower your hips. Start with feet shoulder width apart. Progress to slightly wider than hips and turned out (like a squat position) as you lift and lower your hips. These positions challenge your hamstrings and gluts more intensely. One of my favs for knee rehab. Plank on Ball: Basic Move- Get in a push up position with elbows bent and under your shoulders. Legs in line or slightly wider than hips. Engage your core muscles. Hold the position for 30-90 seconds. Rest 1-2 minutes. Repeat 3-5 times. Level 1- Elbows on ball and body in the plank position. Legs slightly wider than hips if needed. Keep the ball as steady as you can while maintaining good form. Level 2- Hands on ball and body in the plank position. You might need to start with your feet against the wall until you know you can keep the ball steady. Squat on Ball: Basic Move- Sit on ball with your feet on floor. Move from sit on ball to squat position and then back to sit on ball x 20-30 seconds. Goal is to make your legs burn. Rest 1-2 minutes. Repeat 3-5 times. Level 1- Position feet in line with hips and feet in parallel. Progress to feet wider than hips and turned out slightly. Go slow and keep your form while you do this exercise. Have your ball on a surface so that it won’t slide away from you. Please be careful. I don’t want you falling off of it or landing on the floor. Level 2- Hold 5-12 pound free weights while you do the sit to squats. Keep the weights close to your core/hips. You can either hold them with elbows bent (gets your biceps) or on top of your thighs. Note- you should not have any knee discomfort during these moves. Make sure your knees are going over your second toes, so you keep good form. You also need to have a ball that is large enough and has enough air so that when you sit on it your hips are slightly higher than your knees. Prep Moves: If you aren’t used to the Bridge, Plank, or Squat, here are some FIT Blogs that go over how to do them (with good form) in more detail. CORE MOVES (Bridge and Plank Tips) POWER MOVES (Squat Tips) Stretch Moves: After you do these Ball Strength Moves you may want to do these 2 STRETCH MOVES for your low back and gluts or these 3 Ball Stretch Moves. OVER TO YOU: Keep the sequence the same (bridges to planks to squats) when you do them. You can also use them as a warmup or post cardio workout routine. Good form and ball control is very important to focus on during these BALL MOVES. Challenge your balance but listen to your body. If you can’t keep good form, it might be too advanced. Stop when you lose control of the ball or your form. If you don’t have an exercise ball, you can get a good one that will last for years online for $10. Join FIT NEWS, my weekly newsletter, to get more Rest (& Ball Moves) to challenge your strength, mobility, and balance throughout the year.  P.S. Ready to Boost your ENERGY, Strengthen your JOY Muscles, & Bring out the BLISS?
Use the 12 Days of Bliss Challenge- ONE simple REST Move in just 5-10 minutes a day to help you Recharge & anytime you need a Reset. Download the FREE Challenge here. I don’t think I’ve ever talked about this before. I tend to focus on muscles, joints, & fascia so you can have better mobility & posture, but Strong Bones form the foundation to every move you make. Our soft tissue has to attach to something. Right? We’ve got 206 bones in our bodies. Bones can get weaker (less dense) as we age making them more prone to break. Hormone changes in both women (lower estrogen) and men (dropping testosterone) as well as inactivity play a role in bone loss. Osteopenia is a warning sign that you may develop Osteoporosis which is a disease where more bone is broken down than replaced leaving your bones brittle and weak. Both put you at risk for fractures especially in the spine, hips, and wrists. What can you do about it? BONE workouts. How? Exercise is #1 way to prevent or possible reverse bone loss! Not just any kind of exercise helps you have Strong Bones. Resistance Training is key. Bones get stronger when stressed as it triggers them to lay down more bone. Resistance of your bones against gravity during weight bearing activities like a push up or plank will help them get stronger. If you've ever recovered from a leg fracture, it's the reason we have you gradually put more and more weight on it when walking to help the bone heal around the break. Resistance of your muscles pulling on the bone when you do strength training with weights will as well. 4 TYPES OF RESISTANCE TRAINING FOR STRONG BONES:
One thing I love about Pilates equipment, especially the Reformer, is that the springs provide resistance and Pilates is full body weight exercises. All good for your bones (& muscles) yet gentle on your joints. PRO TIP: Try wearing a weighted vest during your daily activities or cardio workouts to help strengthen your spine. Ankle and wrist weights for the extremities. More Tips for Strong Bones:
BONUS: Resistance training not only builds Strong Bones but improves your overall strength, balance, and posture which helps prevent falls. Falls are number one cause of broken hips which increase the risk of death in the elderly population. Good Form is essential when doing any strength training especially if you already have some signs of bone loss. Always go slow and consult your physician before you start a new exercise program. If you’ve been diagnosed with Osteopenia or Osteoporosis, consult with a health professional to help you develop a strength training program, so you don’t injure yourself. OVER TO YOU: Do a Bone Check Up. What do you need to add to help your bones stay Strong & Healthy? If you're not sure, start with adding some Resistance Training 2-3 times a week to give your bones a good workout.  P.S. Ready to be active & agile at any age? Download your FREE Relaxed Body Toolkit to get started here.  Have you ever wondered why most Pro athletes retire in their 30’s? Part of the reason is how the body changes as we age. If you’ve noticed you aren’t quite as strong as you were in your 20’s, there is a reason. All of us- both female and male- lose lean muscle and strength as we age. If you do nothing, you’ll lose 8% of your strength every 10 years after age 30. This process speeds up after age 60 for all of us. Maybe you’re like me and started wondering WTH is going on as I approached midlife and my normal strength training workouts didn’t seem to be working as well. Luckily, I ran across research that helped me make a major shift this year. The result is that it has made me feel stronger than I’ve ever felt. What was it? One of the changes I made was to lift heavier. I bumped up my resistance training- less reps, more weight. Lifting weights with the goal of tearing fibers isn’t enough as we age. Among other things we’ve got reduced estrogen- a main driver of muscle mass & strength. You’ve got to lift heavier weight in order to get the attention of your brain to turn IT up and recruit all the muscle fibers for that power move you are asking it to do. But there’s a catch. We aren’t talking about lifting heavy for isolated muscle movements like bicep curl or rotator cuff exercises. You want to lift heavy with functional movements of pushing, pulling, squatting motions that require a lot of muscle groups to perform them- i.e. squats, deadlifts, chest presses, row (bent over). Power Moves > Heavy Weight > Low Reps- 3-6 reps is what you are targeting as you age. Why? Resistance training helps increase your metabolism and immune system, strengthen bones/tendons, improve blood pressure and lean muscle, and decrease inflammation. Lifting heavy will accelerate all of these benefits as well as build better posture and burn fat while you exercise. How do you know how much to LIFT? Step 1: Figure out the heaviest weight you can lift for one rep for one of the power moves (squats, deadlifts, chest presses, bent over rows). Once you know that you’ll build up to it. Step 2: Build up your foundation and endurance overtime. Get your joints and tendons ready to lift heavier weights. Start with an amount that you can do 8-15 reps for 2-3 sets. Step 3: Increase weight and lower reps every 4-6 weeks until you reach your “heavy” lift goal of 3-6 reps for 3-6 sets. REST REMINDER: You need more rest when lifting heavy so make sure to take 2-5 minutes of rest between sets. Do NOTHING while resting. WEEKLY GOAL: Aim for resistance training 3x/week. PREP WORK SAFETY TIPS: You need to know how to have good technique when doing resistance training to avoid injury or straining your joints. You want to have a good foundation and know how to engage your core and pelvic floor. You may need to use a mirror to watch your form if you are new to lifting. You can lift heavy with dumb bells or barbells. Dumb bells require more stability since you have to coordinate each side of the body. Most importantly BUILD UP to lifting heavy OVERTIME. NOTE: This is one of the rare times that I’m going to tell you to go hard and I’m assuming you’ve already got some type of resistance training with weights, machines, or bands under your belt. I’m also assuming you DO NOT have osteoporosis or osteopenia. If you do, then you will need a health professional to guide/modify for you after you get clearance from your physician to lift heavier weights. NEED MORE SUPPORT? If you need support building your foundation (core) and mobility so you don’t injure your tissue lifting heavy, then you’ll want to check out our online camps here. If you want 1/1 instruction & are in the Austin area, you can book a private session with Ender here. Always listen to your body. If it needs more rest, give it rest. Build up lifting heavy overtime. Take the time to learn good technique and to get your daily mobility & recovery program in place. The pay off is worth it- better bones, posture, strength, & energy.  P.S. Not sure how to get started with lifting heavy? Start with your form & mobility in our online camp or book a 1/1 with Ender to learn techniques for these power moves.
You never know what you might encounter when you go exploring in nature... I mean crossing the street in Austin, Texas. Check out what Ender ran across recently... I’m not sure how I went from growing up with the dad that everyone knew as the neighborhood’s 'Rattle Snake Killer' to having a husband who stops to make sure a snake got home safely?!?! It was alarming but NOT surprising that Ender decided to jump out of his truck to video the snake. One day I’ll share how we ended up visiting The Snake Whisperer on our Amazon trip in the southern region of Venezuela. Fun fact snakes have more bones than us but no pelvis and have evolved to have no legs. We obviously can’t change our shape as smoothly or as much as a snake but we can work on our mobility by targeting our Fascia (connective tissue). Fascia is the tough connective tissue that spreads throughout your body in a three-dimensional web from head to toe. It holds everything together from the bones, and organs to the nerves, blood vessels, and muscles. Everything is connected to everything by your Fascia. How you spend your day effects your play. Your fascia takes the shape of what you do most. If you sit most of the day, your hips are going to be tight in the front (your hip flexors). Your PSOAS MUSCLE is the most popular or well known of your hip flexors. It starts at the front of your lumbar spine (lumbar vertebra) goes under the organs and attaches to the front of your hip (i.e. at the lesser trochanter of femur) helping bring your thigh to your chest (bend your hip).  When the Psoas Muscle is tight, it can lead to low back, hip, groin or pelvic pain. It can also affect your posture and ability to stand up straight. It’s even been called the “muscle of the soul” as it can be tense or tight from holding onto emotional stress (fear, anxiety) and trauma due to being activated during fight or flight stress response. Tight hip flexors can cause your gluteal (buttock) muscles to not fire properly which impacts your power, speed and stability. Stretching your hip flexors daily will improve your posture and performance. ️Here are 3 HIP FLEXOR STRETCH MOVES that go from less to more fascia. The tighter you are, start with the least amount of fascia and work your way to more full body stretches (i.e. supine > kneeling > standing positions). 
OVER TO YOU: Do you have tight hip flexors? If so, are you ready to give them some attention each day? Your low back will appreciate it. You’ll notice you have better posture and more ease with movement and walking kind of like that floating on air sensation when you get a new pair of running shoes. Stretching your hip flexors is a great counter to all the sitting we do now. Make sure to add Hip Flexor Stretches to your Rest Toolbox.  P.S. If you’d like to work on your gluts & get more healthy hips tips, check out this FIT Blog. If you're ready to improve your mobility, posture & fascia fitness, get on the interest list for our next online Rest Camp here. We do not provide medical advice. Always consult your physician before starting a new exercise program.
If you have low back stiffness and/or pain, it's time to TWIST & PRETZEL the tension out. Let's start with the FLOOR TWIST!  HOW TO DO THE FLOOR TWIST:This position targets your low back muscles and hips.
If you have low back pain or stiffness: keep the bottom knee bent as it's stretching less fascia (connective tissue). As you feel more flexible, do the Twist with your knee straight on bottom leg. NEXT UP: For low back pain or flare-ups, add my all time favorite stretch, THE PRETZEL, to the TWIST. It's a glut stretch that'll help you take pressure off your lower spine. Do your Floor Twists before the Pretzel Glut Stretch.  HOW TO DO A PRETZEL GLUT STRETCH:
PRO TIP: If you have neck, shoulder, or back pain/injuries, put your foot on the wall (of the bottom leg that you would normally hold onto) and relax your arms at your side. Gently rock your hips side to side using your foot on the wall. This allow you to keep your neck and shoulder's relaxed as you stretch for a few breaths (or minutes). The Floor Twist + The Pretzel Glut Stretch= A Happy Low Back! They're the perfect combo to help relieve low back stiffness or pain. Add them at the end of a workout or in bed (morning or night) to help take some tension off your lower spine. It's holding you up all day. Give it some love. PRO TWIST TIP: You can change up the position of your twist to target energy and/or digestion as well. Check out the SEATED TWIST.  P.S. Ready to be active & agile at any age? Download your FREE Relaxed Body Toolkit to get started here.
Time to go deeper in Part 3 of how to have a strong, healthy pelvic floor for better posture, power, and overall performance. Now that you've got the PF PREP WORK down from Part 2, let's upgrade your REST Toolbox with 6 CORE STRENGTH MOVES that'll help challenge & address weakness or coordination issues of your pelvic floor muscles and core. The more gravity you are dealing with, the more weight you’re holding with your arms, or faster your breathing is during an activity, the more challenging it is for your PF muscles. If they’ve been injured, be gentle and work toward more heavy exercise routines or demands. Bridges before Wall Squats. Floor Planks before Bird Dogs. Squats before Lunges or Warrior Poses  GETTING STARTED: During the exercises:
Work through these 6 Core Strength Yoga Moves in the following sequence: 1. Bridges- lift hips up and down while holding your Kegel. Legs together or with a ball between knees to modify. Do 5-10 reps. 2. Planks- modify if needed on elbows and knees. Progress to straight arms and legs. Hold for 5-10 breaths. 3. Chair Pose- modify if needed by leaning spine against the wall as you slide up and down wall for 5-10 reps. Hold pose for several breaths if you're not against the wall. 4. Tree Pose- modify if needed against the wall and keep foot low around ankle. Hold position or move the foot up and down from the floor for several reps/breaths. Add arms overhead to make it more challenging. Progress to tree pose without wall support. 5. Bird Dog- you can slide or reach your hand and opposite foot on the floor vs off the floor to modify the pose. You can also just reach your arm or leg to modify then progress to both at same time. Do 5-10 reps or hold for a few breaths on each side. Slowing it down and holding is more challenging to stabilize than lots of reps. 6. Warrior 2 Pose- you can sit on a chair vs without the chair to modify the pose. Hold for a few breaths on each side. WANT MORE PF SUPPORT? Pilates and Yoga Therapy offers many ways to modify and progress a pelvic floor training program. There are also specialists that can provide internal pelvic floor therapy as well. Just reach out if you need a resource in your area.
P.S. Want more guidance with your Pelvic Floor & Core using Pilates Rehab? You'll want to check out the updated version of REST Camp: SHINE™... get on the interest list here.
|
Mollie, Ender, Ty & Teddie
Mollie Miller, PT
|
RSS Feed