Core-tober!
Blog post 2: written by Hannah Knights (@hannahknights1)
Whether you desire a full-on six pack, a toned stomach, or just better posture and general well-being, then this blog post is for you! In this blog you will discover tips on how to activate, strengthen and tone your core, all from the comfort of your own home (particularly good with the threat of lockdown no. 2 pending on the horizon!).
So, what is the ‘core’?
The core of your body is your midsection, including the muscles at the front, back and sides. The core includes the traverse abdominis (TVA), erector spinae, obliques, and your lower lats. These muscles combined work to stabilise the entire body. Therefore, a strong ‘core’ helps in the maintenance of good posture and therefore helps to prevent lower back pain.
On top of this, keeping your core muscles strong can give you more power for everyday exercises like walking and running. A strengthened core will better protect your spinal cord, as well as give you a more confident and upright posture – the gateway to better general well-being! Further to this, ‘small wins’ are so important for mental health – by setting aside 10 minutes for self-love, you will feel accomplished and ready to tackle the day ahead!
Before you start a core workout, make sure you are activating your core muscles ready to engage themselves in the workout - we do not want your hip flexors to do all the work.
Before you start, do around 5-8 reps of the following exercises:
-Cat-cow stretch
-Side plank holds
-Superman
If just the core activation was enough for you, then stop there and give yourself a pat on the back for helping your body towards a stronger and healthier place.
If you feel that you need a bit more of a challenging workout, then try 1 or 2 sets of the following ‘3-minute Hannah K workout’ (20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest between exercises):
1.Leg drops (make sure to keep your lower back pressed into the ground)
2.Front plank
3.Knee slide crunch
4.Dead bugs (make sure to keep your lower back pressed into the ground)
5.Shoulder taps
6.Bicycle crunches
If you need any advice on how to complete the exercises listed above, please do not hesitate to contact me. If you are feeling really strong, you can even progress by adding a small weight into the core circuit! You can find how to complete the exercises by simply typing the names as above into google search. There are also a large variety of core workouts free to view on YouTube, perfect if you need a motivational edge and the feeling that someone is there doing it with you (e.g the Chloe Ting craze). Hopefully, we will get a video filmed soon for you guys and jump on the video hype!
After all, the torso is your body’s centre of power, so make sure you look after it and keep it strong!
Catch you next month – Hannah x