Core Challenge: Power Moves For Better Posture

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:

• Breathing pattern- Inhale to Prepare & Relax the Pelvic Floor.  Exhale & Engage your PF & Core (Scoop your Belly muscles up, in and back) as you do the movement. Repeat.
• Form- keep a neutral spine- a slight curve in your low back (not too rounded or arched) during the entire exercise. Head in line with spine. Think arm pits to hips.
• Reps- It's not about a ton of reps. It's about quality of movement with good form and control.
• Modify- if you're new to these moves or you can't keep good form or find yourself holding your breath, modify as described below.
• Goal- Aim to work through this sequence 2-3 times per week. Do 1-3 rounds of the full sequence.

6 CORE POWER MOVES

Work 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:

• Always modify if you've had a back or neck injury or are postpartum. Consult with your health care provider if you need more help with modifications. You shouldn't begin these exercise if you're pregnant and new to them or have a recent injury.
• If you've had injuries or weak pelvic floor muscles, work through the CORE PREP MOVES before you add these Core Power Moves.
• Stop if you feel pain especially in your wrist, neck, or back when doing these exercises. You can get sore from them but sharp pain is not OK. If you have pain, modify and look at your form in a mirror or take a video of yourself. If that helps, keep going. If it doesn't, STOP.

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: