5 Foot Exercises to Improve Your Pace

By Lauren Hargrave
For Active.com 

As fit and active people, we often take our feet for granted and instead choose to concentrate on the larger vanity muscles. We like working the areas we can see or the ones that help us fit into our skinny jeans.

However, ignoring these small paddles, we miss out on one of the most important aspects of all athletic endeavors: performance.

The human feet have 26 bones, 33 joints, and more than a hundred muscles, tendons and ligaments. They are our shock absorbers and push the pavement away with the entire weight of our bodies, powering us through our run.

The stronger your feet, the more power you have in your push and the faster your legs can move.

If you're a runner looking to shave multiple seconds off your mile, or minutes off your marathon, these foot strengtheners will get closer to your goal. Please note, it is important to remain barefoot during these exercises so that your feet can fully articulate.

Barefoot Calf Raises

These are a good warm-up for any speed or strength-training workout because they wake up the entire lower half of the body. Stand barefoot with your feet hips distance apart and slowly raise and lower your heels.

When lifting, make sure that the tops of your feet, your ankles and calves are all in a straight line; if your ankles bow out, you could wind up with an injury.

If you are unsure about your form, it may help to have a chair or railing nearby for balance and to start by performing these exercises in front of a mirror.

Heel-Raised Squats

For those looking for a more interesting way to squat, these are for you. Unless your balance is so good you can practically levitate, you will probably want to rest your hand on a railing or chair, and place a block or small round ball in between your upper thighs. Once your props are in place, stand with your bare feet hips distance apart and lift your heels off the floor. Once you feel stable, squeeze the ball or block between your legs and bend your knees as far as you can while keeping your heels raised and back straight. Hold here for a count of 30, then rise up an inch, and drop an inch.

Repeat for a set of 30 and then finish with another 30-count isometric hold. To get the greatest benefit, make sure that your heels do not drop as you squat and try to keep your thighs parallel to the ground at all times.

Barefoot Squat Jumps

Jumping barefoot is one of the best exercises for your feet, and you can add a medicine ball to get a more intense lower body workout.

This exercise is best performed on a soft surface, so try to find grass, sand or carpet if you can. Then stand with your bare feet hips distance apart and if you're using a medicine ball, hold it to your chest.

Bend your knees as far as you can while keeping your back straight and then explode up, pushing off the ground with as much force as possible.

If you're using a medicine ball, push it over your head as you leap for a little shoulder and triceps workout. Try to land softly to protect your knees, and repeat for three sets of 20.

Balancing Poses

Borrowed from yoga, balancing poses are a gentler way to strengthen your feet. Start with your bare feet touching, then slowly bend forward, touch your toes with your hands and lift your left leg into a split.

Stay here for 10 breaths, slowly lift your body until your left leg and torso are parallel to the ground and your arms are pointing towards your back foot like airplane wings. Slowly count to 10.

From here, lift your torso until you're upright and slowly drop and the lift your left leg until it's pointing in front of you. Don't touch the ground and don't lean backwards; stay here for 10 breaths.

Finish this set by bringing your left foot to rest either above or below your knee. Bring your hands to your waste or prayer position in front of your heart. Stay here as long as you can stand it, and repeat on the other side.

Alternate Walking on Toes and Heels

These exercises stretch and strengthen your feet and are a good cool-down. Walking on your toes strengthens the calf muscles and stretches the toe extensors. Walking on your heels strengthens the foot extensors, and stretches the calves and bottoms of your feet.

Start with your bare feet hips distance apart, raise your heels off the floor and take 50 steps on your toes. Walk back the way you came on your heels, careful not to lock-out your knees.

Lauren Hargrave is a writer, endurance athlete and a fan of all things related to physical and emotional well being. She also takes one week challenges from friends and family and writes about them on her blog 50 Two Cents.

5 Ab Exercises for Runners.

By Dena Stern




According to a recently published study "runners who did these moves four times a week shaved a minute off their 5K times in six weeks."

Whether you are training for an endurance run or just looking to improve the quality of your weekly job these ab moves are a must.

Directions: Perform two sets of 12 reps of each exercise.

Instability Crunch

Begin by lying on your back on a exercise ball with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. To be safe you can anchor your feet under a stable object. Place your hands behind your head and extend your elbow out as you roll your upper body forward and up. Roll For more of a challenge try: Weighted Ball Crunch

Hip Lift

Lie on your back with your hands at your sides, palms down, and your legs bent on top of a exercise ball. Press your heels into the ball while raising your hips toward the ceiling. Your body should end at a 45 degree angle to the ball. Lower your hips to the floor and repeat.
For more of a challenge try: One Leg Hamstring Dips

Back Extension

Lie on an exercise ball with your belly button over the center of the ball and your arms and legs extended. Contract your abs and raise your upper body off the ball until your body forms a straight line from the top of your head to your ankles. Lower and repeat. For more of a challenge try: Medicine Ball Hyperextension

All Fours

Begin with your hands and knees on the floor, shoulder and hip width apart, facing downward with your back straight and parallel to the floor.
Raise your right leg and extend it behind you as you lift your left arm and extend it in front of you. Hold this position for about five seconds, return to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
For more of a challenge try: All Fours with Weighted Balls

Russian Twist

Begin by lying on your back on top of a exercise ball with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Extend your arms toward the ceiling and bring your hands together. Keep your arms straight as you twist from side. For more of a challenge try: Russian Twist with Weights

Dena Stern is a certified personal trainer and the Content & Community Manager for Exercise.com. She works with a highly trained group of nutritionists, trainers, yoga and Pilates instructors and athletes to provide the best information, tools and motivation related to exercise and fitness.

6 Yoga Poses to Improve Your Running

By Sage Roundtree
Runner's World 

Strung together, these six yoga poses form a routine that builds the abdominals, back, quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and upper body while also improving balance.

Targeting these areas will give you a strong foundation—which means more power, less chance of injury. Two days a week, cut your runs just a mile short to fit in this 10-minute sequence.
Do the first three poses twice (one side, then the other). Then do the second three poses in the same manner.

You can also try these eight tips from a master yoga teacher to help make your practice flawless.

Chair 

Builds: core, legs, glutes, arms  

With your feet, knees, thighs touching, sit into a squat. Extend your arms.

Twisting Chair

Builds: core, legs, glutes, arms
While in chair, press your palms together, and rotate to the right.

Twisting Lunge

Builds: core, legs, glutes, arms
Step your left foot back while holding the twist. Keep your knee over your ankle.

Warrior III

Builds: balance and overall strength
Balance on your left foot. Fold forward, lifting your right leg. Extend your arms.

Arrow Lunge

Builds: core, legs, glutes, arms
Step your right leg back into a lunge, keeping arms extended.

Extended-Leg Balance

Builds: posture, balance, legs
Swing your right leg up and hold it extended in front of you.

Sage Rountree, author of The Athlete's Guide to Yoga, developed this routine. Watch her demonstrate it at runnerworld.com/bodyshop. You can also order her strength plan (designed to be paired with marathon training) at runnersworld.com/trainingplans.

Single Leg Balancing - The Power of One

by Chris Johnson, PT
on endurancecorner.com

Triathlon performance largely depends on the ability of an athlete to maintain a straight and balanced position over the course of three disciplines. On the swim, we strive for a streamlined stroke. On the bike we try to establish and maintain an aerodynamic and powerful position. On the run we aim for an upright posture. The unfortunate reality for most triathletes, however, is that we have not earned professional status and therefore need to work.

In the case of most jobs, an inordinate amount of time is spent sitting, which often leads to a bent forward and slouched position. In time, we become a postural wreck and lose our sense of balance. Next thing you know, training sessions start to feel more like battles of attrition as we fight to exercise tight muscles in a lengthened and upright position while hoping that we avoid injury.

The Single Leg Stance
One exercise that is particularly helpful for triathletes in offsetting the ill effects of sitting is balancing on one leg. While many of you probably think that you could fall asleep on one leg, you might be surprised! Single leg stance involves a complex interplay between several regions of the body.

• Working from the ground up, the foot should be positioned so it’s pointing straight ahead.
• The knee should be slightly bent rather than locked.
• The hip should be positioned over the knee and foot while the pelvis should be maintained in a level and squared off position.
• Lastly, the head should be stacked on the torso.

While it may seem to be a trivial task, proper execution of single leg stance is a rarity even among high-level triathletes, so there is always room for improvement!
Tips for Incorporating the Single Leg Stance Into Your Daily Routine

1. Start barefoot on a firm surface to ensure proper form. This will afford you more control versus a cushioned surface and allow you to focus on the quality of the exercise.
2. Also start by resting your hands on the top of your head with your fingers interlaced. This brings about a better sense of head position while improving overall alignment [top image, click to enlarge].
3. Once you have the fundamentals down, begin to increase your time in the position up to 60 seconds. If you fatigue or lose form before 60 seconds, stop. [second image]
4. As your ability to balance on one leg improves, you can increase the difficulty by practicing it on a cushioned surface or adding arm movements to replicate running. [bottom image]
5. Lastly, as a general rule of thumb, single leg stance should be performed at least once every hour of the workday.

If you are a triathlete who spends the majority of your workday sitting, single leg stance will be prove to be a game changer. It is a simple and inexpensive exercise that can be performed anytime and anywhere. The next time you are at work and find yourself getting sucked in to your chair, stand up and balance on one leg. This will not only help you survive the office but will also improve your training and racing.

---

Chris Johnson is a successful physical therapist and certified triathlon coach in New York City, who specializes in providing care and coaching for endurance athletes. He spent the early part of his professional career as a physical therapist and researcher at the Nicholas Institute of Sports Medicine and Athletic Trauma (NISMAT) of Lenox Hill Hospital before opening a private practice in the West Village of Manhattan, Chris Johnson, PT, LLC. He is the co-founder of Formula Tri Club and currently races at the amateur elite level. He also maintains his own blog, Critter’s Corner, which focuses on medical and performance issues related to triathlon. You can contact him at chris@chrisjohnsonpt.com

What is core training and do I need it for triathlon?

by Stacy Munn
Seattle Examiner

There's a lot of buzz around core training for triathlon, and frankly just about every other activity outside of sleeping! But exactly what is the “core” and why is core strength and stability so important for triathlon?
The core is everything between your head and your hips and includes big and small muscles. The core muscles stabilize the spine and pelvis and drive the arms and legs. Many fitness classes, online articles and exercise libraries focus on the abdominal muscles for core training. While the abdominal muscles, (specifically the transversus abdominus, rectus abdominus, internal and external obliques) play an important role, they’re only part of the core story. The muscles in the back, pelvic floor and hips are also crucial to core strength and stability.

Core strength is important during swimming, biking and running for power transfer (between arms and legs) and for stabilization. In swimming, a weak core can cause “fishtailing,” where the hips and legs wiggle from side to side. This extra drag slows you down in the water. A cyclist with poor core strength may have a lot of side-to-side rocking in the shoulders and hips. This extra movement is not only inefficient, it also puts extra wear and tear on the joints, which could, over time, lead to injury. Runners with a weak core often have a drop in the hip during the recovery phase. This is the cause of many running injuries.

Poor core strength results in a loss of power in all three sports and could lead to injury. Incorporate core training 2-3 times a week as part your training program for faster race times and to stay injury free. Here are two excellent exercises to improve and maintain your core strength and stability.

Contra lateral limb raises (aka bird-dog)
Objective: train the body how to stabilize the low back while the arms and legs are moving.

1. Come onto your hands and knees on an exercise mat or floor with your hands directly under your shoulders and knees directly under your hips.
2. Engage your core muscles (abdominals, back and pelvic floor muscles) so your spine is in a neutral position.
3. Raise your left leg and straighten your left while simultaneously raising your right arm. Your right arm and left leg should be parallel to the floor. Keep your neck in neutral alignment with the rest of your spine and nose pointed down at the floor.
4. Keep both hips and shoulders parallel to the floor and keep your core engaged while you lower your left leg and right arm back to the starting position and repeat with the opposite limbs. 

Front plank

1. Lie on your stomach with your arms bent, elbows close to your sides, palms down, legs straight and toes tucked under.
2. Contract your core and slowly lift your torso off the mat, keeping your legs straight and your torso stiff. Make as straight a line as possible from the crown of your head down to your ankles. Avoid sagging in your low back, hiking your hips upwards or bending your knees. Keep your shoulders directly over your elbows. Continue to breathe and hold this position for 5 seconds or more.
3. Maintain a stiff torso and straight legs while lowering your body back down to the mat.
4. Relax a few seconds, then repeat.
5. Work up to holding the plan for 45 seconds, doing 3 repetitions.

You can find more core training and other strength exercises at the ACE exercise library from the American Council on Exercise.

The Best and Worst Exercises for Bad Knees

By Michele Stanten
Prevention

Exercise may be the best medicine for chronic achy knees.

"Strengthening the muscles around the joint protects you from injury by decreasing stress on the knee," says Willibald Nagler, MD, chairman of rehabilitation medicine at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell Campus in New York City.

But you must use good form and technique.

The First Commandment

Never bend your legs to a point where your knees stick out past your toes. That puts a lot of pressure under the kneecap. This not only applies to the following exercises but also when you're stretching or doing aerobic activities such as step aerobics.

Except where stated, do 10 to 12 repetitions of each of the following, two or three times a week.

Best Exercises to Do

Partial Squats
Stand about 12 inches away from the front of a chair with your feet about hip width apart and your toes forward. Bending at the hips, slowly lower yourself halfway down to the chair. Keep your abs tight, and check that your knees stay behind your toes.

Stepups
Using an aerobic step bench or a staircase, step up onto the step with your right foot. Tap your left foot on the top of the step, and then lower. As you step up, your knee should be directly over your ankle. Repeat with your left foot.

Side-lying Leg Lifts
Wearing ankle weights above the knee, lie on your left side, legs straight and together, with your left arm supporting your head. Keeping your right foot flexed and your body straight, slowly lift your right leg to about shoulder height, then slowly lower. Repeat with your left leg.

Inner-thigh Leg Lifts
Wearing ankle weights above the knee, lie on your left side, slightly back on your butt. Bend your right leg and place it behind your left leg with your right foot flat on the floor and your left leg straight. Support your head with your left arm. Slowly lift your left leg about 3 to 5 inches, then lower. Repeat with your right leg.

Calf Raises
Using a chair or wall for balance, stand with your feet about hip width apart, toes straight ahead. Slowly lift your heels off the floor, rising up onto your toes. Hold, then slowly lower.

Straight-Leg Raises
Sit with your back against a wall, left leg straight and right leg bent with your foot flat on the floor. Slowly raise your left leg straight up about 12 inches off the floor. Hold, then slowly lower. Repeat with your right leg.

Short-Arc Knee Extensions
In the same starting position as the straight-leg raises, put a ball (about the size of a basketball) under your left knee so that your leg is bent. Slowly straighten your leg. Hold, then slowly lower. Repeat with your right leg.

Hamstring Stretch
Lie on your back with your left leg flat on the floor. Loop a towel or rope around your right foot and pull your leg as far as comfortable toward your chest, while keeping a slight bend at the knee. Keep your back pressed to the floor throughout the stretch. Hold for 10 to 30 seconds and then release. Repeat three or four times with each leg. Do this stretch five or six times a week.

Worst Exercises—Avoid These

A few of the following exercises can be done safely if you have chronic knee problems; they're on this list because they're more likely to be done improperly. The exercises above are safer, while still giving you similar results.

Full-arc knee extensions
Lunges
Deep squats
Hurdler's stretches

Get Your Balance in Check

Balance deteriorates as we age. For an endurance athlete, that's something to fight.

By Amanda Loudin
from March 2011 Iron Girl e-newsletter

Can you stand on one foot for 30 seconds? Now try it again, but with your eyes closed. I'm guessing the answer is probably no.

Why is this important to you? If you're a runner, you participate in a sport that requires the ability to balance on one leg over and over again, up to 180 times each minute. So, you'd better be able to stand on one leg for 30 seconds!

Unfortunately for most women, balance is not a strong suit. Years of wearing ill-fitting shoes that destabilize our feet, sitting at desks for long periods of time and neglecting to strengthen key muscles can all add up to a poor sense of balance.

The good news is-with a few very simple additions to your daily routine, you can improve your balance rather quickly. With this will come a decrease in the likelihood of running injuries and potentially an increase in your running speed. A good deal, if you ask me!

Easy peasy

Improving your balance really doesn't require much time, but it does require a concerted effort. One of the easiest ways to work on balance is to sneak in chances to stand on one leg throughout the day. Standing in the grocery line? Spend alternating 30 second sessions on one leg or the other. The same holds true for time brushing your teeth, time in the shower or time prepping food in the kitchen.

Another good way is to incorporate balance training into your strength routine. Some portion of your strength routine probably involves standing up, perhaps doing curls or overhead presses, etc. Try doing them on one foot for a challenge to your balance.

You can take it a step further by adding in a Bosu ball. These unsteady platforms look like half a ball stuck onto a wooden platform. Turn the board onto the ball side and stand on it while you perform strength exercises.

Another tool is a balance board. Again, a wooden surface on top of a wobbly base, a balance board is fun to play with. You need nothing more than a few minutes per day of trying to level this unsteady platform and you'll quickly see improvements.

If you're a mom, you can make balance exercises a fun game with your kids, too. You'll likely find that they are much better at it than you! Try playing hopscotch, seeing who can stand on one leg the longest or throwing a ball back and forth to your kids while on one leg. All are great and simple ways to accomplish a better sense of balance.

Before long, you'll be able to see a difference in your balance. That's not only good for your running, but for your everyday quality of life as well.

 Amanda Loudin is a Maryland-based freelance writer, runner, triathlete and certified RRCA running coach. She's completed seven marathons, including Boston, and countless triathlons ranging from sprints to Ironman distance. You can follow her adventures at www.misszippy1.blogspot.com.

4 Ways to Build Balance

EatBetterAmerica.com

Every day, you walk a metaphorical balance beam. Family life teeters against work commitments. That scoop of ice cream is pitted against a cup of broccoli. And, if your math is correct (and if that check is deposited in time), your checkbook is even balanced. For most of us, literal balance is taken for granted, handled by our automatic onboard computer.

"Even when you're standing still, you're using your sense of balance," says Harvey W. Wallmann, a doctor of physical therapy science and an associate professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. "You use balance all the time, picking up children, stepping up on a curb, or walking over rocks."

What's Behind Balance

Like muscle, balance may also decline with age, Wallmann says. The surprising news: Even if you're working out in a gym, you may not be maintaining or improving your balance.

"When you're younger, you usually do all sorts of activities that challenge your balance system," Wallmann says. "Sitting in front of a computer all day, then going to the gym for 30 minutes does little to challenge your balance."

Bettering balance begins with a tripod--the three different sensors that form your personal gyroscope. Your inner ear, perception from your eyes, and joint and muscle-nerve receptors called proprioceptors combine to give you balance. If one of these elements goes out of whack, you'll likely teeter.

"Think about when you get out of bed at night in the dark," Wallmann says. "Some people are very vision dominant. You don't have your vision, so you'll likely wobble until you see a glint of light."

Also, for example, if you injure an ankle it diminishes the capability of the proprioceptors in that area to assist with balance. "You have to challenge your sensory system to force yourself out of your comfort zone," he says. "Once strengthened, you'll have better body control and also may be more likely to avoid falls and injuries."

Exercises to Try

To improve balance, Wallmann often recommends exercises that remove one of the tripod legs to help strengthen the others. Here are four he suggests:

Single-leg Stand
Stand with your legs slightly less than shoulder-width apart near a support such as a wall or railing. Balance as you lift one leg, and then close your eyes. Maintain your balance for 30 to 60 seconds, and repeat with the other leg.

Trunk Turns
Stand with your legs slightly wider than shoulder-width apart on a mini trampoline. (No mini trampoline? A soft gym mat or other squishy surface will also work.) Hold an exercise ball, or a 5 or 10 pound weight chest high in both hands. Twist at your trunk to face your right. Return to center, then twist to your left and back to center. Repeat 10 to 20 times.

Single-leg Squat
Stand on a sturdy 6- to 8-inch-high stool or step, with your right leg off the stool to the side. Bend your left leg as you do a squat until your right leg barely touches the ground. Do two sets of five to 10 reps on each leg.

March in the Dark
In a room with plenty of space and no obstacles that could bump knees or cause you to trip, march in place 60 to 100 steps with your eyes closed.

EatBetterAmerica is the destination to find simple ways to eat better to live better. It’s a website where people can find healthy recipes, expert advice, community support and easy-to-follow exercise tips that can lead to a better and fuller life. So, now you’re not alone in this quest. Check out www.eatbetteramerica.com.

7 Ultimate Fitness Tests for Women

By Jen Ator
Women's Health from Active.com

Take each of these tests to gauge your performance level. If you fall short in any area, follow our tips to boost your abilities, then retake the test in three to four weeks to track your progress.

Upper-Body Strength

Many women focus only on their biceps and triceps (we get it, who doesn't want arms like Michelle Obama's?). Problem is, they're ignoring key muscles in the chest, shoulders, and upper back that build strength, streamline posture, and prevent injuries, says Rachel Cosgrove, Women's Health fitness advisor and half of the husband-and-wife duo that owns Results Fitness in Newhall, California. Rowing movements—like the ones in this test—are an excellent measure of upper-body strength because they target all the muscles and use your body weight as resistance.


The Test: Three-Rep Inverted Row
Think of this exercise as an upside-down pushup: Lie faceup on the floor with your shoulders directly underneath a secure barbell. The bar should be high enough that when you grab it your back is not resting on the ground. Hold the bar with an overhand grip, hands wider than shoulder width.

Rep one: Bend your knees 90 degrees, feet flat on the floor, lift your hips to form a straight line from shoulders to knees, then pull your body to the bar. If you can touch your chest to the bar, move on to rep two.

Rep two: Extend your legs so your body is in a straight line. Repeat the movement from the first rep by pulling your body to the bar. If you can touch the bar with your chest, move on to rep three.

Rep three: Place your feet on an exercise bench so your legs are in line with your shoulders. Perform the same movement as the first two reps, pulling your body to the bar while maintaining a straight line.


Measure Up
Excellent If you can complete all three reps with proper form
Good If you can complete one or two reps with proper form
Below Average If you cannot complete one rep with proper form

Get Stronger
Add this upper-body combo from Cosgrove to your routine two or three times a week: Do as many reps of the modified inverted row (rep one) as you can, then do as many pushups as you can. Rest for 60 to 90 seconds, then repeat for a total of two or three sets. Aim for more reps each workout.

Endurance

"Being able to run miles a day is a good measure of cardio endurance, but it's not the best measure of muscle endurance," says fitness expert Robert Dos Remedios, author of Cardio Strength Training. That's because running for distance primarily challenges your heart and lungs, not your legs. (Yes, your legs may feel tired, but your muscles aren't actually exhausted.) When you focus on muscular endurance—your ability to sustain resistance over time—you gain the strength to power through longer, more intense workouts, says Dos Remedios. The following test challenges both aspects, showing you how long your lungs and muscles can last before calling it quits.

The Test: Leg Matrix
Do all four moves back-to-back without rest. If you stop or can't do the move with proper form, that's the end of the test. Track your success through reps: On your first try, do 10 reps of each move. Wait two days, then repeat with 15 reps. Then test two days later with 24 reps.

Squat: Stand with feet hip-width apart, hands behind your head (a), and lower until your thighs are parallel to the ground (b). Push through your heels to return to standing.

Lunge: Stand with hands behind head (a), then step forward with your left foot and lower until your right knee almost touches the floor (b). Return to start; repeat on the other side.

Squat jump: Lower into a squat as described to the left (a), then jump off the ground as high as you can (b). Land softly, and immediately lower into another squat and repeat.

Split jump: Lower into the lunge described to the left (a). Jump as high as you can and switch legs in the air (b). Land softly, then lower into your next rep on the opposite side (c).

Measure Up
Excellent Can complete 24 reps of each move with proper form without stopping
Good Can complete 10 or 15 reps of each move with proper form without stopping
Below Average Cannot do 10 reps of each move with proper form without stopping

Amp Your Endurance
Boost both your aerobic and muscular endurance by adding intervals—high-intensity work followed by low-intensity recovery—into your strength training. You'll torch more calories in less time and train your body to push harder for longer. Try this three-week plan from Dos Remedios: During week one, do each of your strength exercises for 20 seconds, then rest for 40 seconds. In week two, work for 30 seconds and rest for 30 seconds. For week three, follow a 40-second work and 20-second rest interval.

Agility

Whether you're dodging people in a crowded airport or sidestepping a sidewalk puddle, your split-second actions (and reactions) are considered by some to be the epitome of fitness. "Agility is the culmination of all your basic biomotor abilities—coordination, speed, balance, power, and conditioning—working together to respond quickly in any situation," says Craig Friedman, director of the performance innovation team at Athletes' Performance in Phoenix.

The Test: Four-Point Touch
Place four markers in a square, five yards apart. Stand in the middle with your knees and hips bent (a), and set a timer to 15 seconds. Move as fast as you can to the front left marker and touch it with your left hand (b). Return to the center, then repeat to the front right marker. Continue this pattern, moving clockwise, trying to touch as many as possible in 15 seconds.

Measure Up
Excellent If you touch nine or more markers
Good If you touch six to eight markers
Below Average If you touch fewer than six markers

Add Pep to Your Step
Incorporating plyometrics—like power skips—into your workout can boost agility, reports a new study. Add two sets of 10 reps to your routine three times a week: Skip as high as you can by raising your right knee to hip height and keeping your left leg straight. Land on the ball of your left foot, and repeat, alternating legs.

Balance

Thank your body's self-awareness next time you save yourself from a spill in your fou-rinch pumps: Nerve endings in your tendons and muscles sense the subtle changes in your body position, says fitness expert Todd Durkin, author of The IMPACT! Body Plan and owner of Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego. That unconscious info, combined with (and enhanced by) your coordination and strength, is used by your motor system to rule how well you stay on your feet.

The Test: Single-Leg Balance and Touch
Test each leg separately. Stand on your right leg, knee slightly bent (a), and bend down to touch your toes with your left hand, keeping your back flat and raising your left leg behind you (b). Return to the starting position without putting your left foot down. Repeat as many times as possible in 60 seconds.

Measure Up
Excellent If you touch 21 times or more
Good If you touch 10 to 20 times
Below Average If you touch fewer than 10 times

Boost Your Balance
Anchor your roots with this modified tree pose: Standing on your right leg, place your left foot on your right inner thigh, left knee turned out. Close your eyes and extend your arms overhead. Hold for 20 seconds, then return to start. Repeat on the opposite side. Your goal: Minimize the number of breaks in form, like moving your hands or opening your eyes.

Lower-Body Strength

The leg and butt muscles are loaded with strength and calorie-burning potential, but many women don't utilize them. This lower-body power problem is twofold, says Alwyn Cosgrove, Men's Health fitness advisor and the other half of the husband-and-wife team that owns Results Fitness. First, most women let their quads do more work than their hamstrings (a muscle imbalance that decreases overall strength and increases risk of knee injury), and second, one leg usually outmuscles the other (which can lead to hip and back problems). This test will reveal any discrepancy.

The Test: Three-Rep Single-Leg Squat
Test each leg separately. Starting with rep one, perform the exercise as instructed with proper form. Complete it successfully, and continue to the next rep. When you can't complete a rep with correct form, that's the end of the test.

Rep one: Place a bench about a foot behind you and stand on your left leg; lift your right leg and both arms in front of you (a). Bend your left knee and lower until you are sitting on the bench (b). Pause, then drive back up to the starting position.

Rep two: Get into the starting position from rep one (a) and lower yourself until you are almost sitting on the bench (b). Graze the bench and drive right back up without touching the bench.

Rep three: Stand on the bench and balance on your left leg with your right foot off the bench, arms straight in front of you (a). Bend your left knee and sit back as far as you can into a squat (b), while still being able to drive back up to the starting position.

Measure Up
Excellent If you can complete all three reps with proper form
Good If you can complete reps one and two with proper form, but not rep three
Below Average If you cannot complete rep one with proper form

Even the Score
It's not uncommon for each leg to score differently, says Cosgrove. The fix: Add the single-leg squat to your routine two or three times a week. Select the rep you did with your weaker leg (or rep one, if you couldn't do any). Starting with that leg, repeat the move as many times as you can, then do the same amount with the stronger leg. Rest for 60 seconds, then repeat for a total of two sets. After three weeks, retake the test and see where you stand.

Flexibility

Touching your toes comes in handy during a yoga session, but research suggests that there's a tipping point to how much flexibility is actually beneficial. When your tendons and ligaments are too loose, the joints may not be fully protected, upping your risk of injury, says Mike Boyle, owner of Mike Boyle Strength and Conditioning in Boston. This test focuses on your hip flexors, a commonly stiff (yet frequently ignored) spot for women: Tightness here signals a host of muscular imbalances in the hips, glutes, and hamstrings that can lead to muscle strains and lower-back pain.

The Test: Thomas Test
Test each leg separately. Lie on a bench, knees at your chest (a). Hold one knee with both hands as you extend your other leg, relax your hip, and lower as far as possible while keeping the leg straight (b).

Measure Up
Excellent If your extended leg drops below your hips
Good If your extended leg is parallel to your hips
Below Average If your extended leg is above parallel to your hips

Flex Even Farther
Tight hip flexors? Blame weak glutes. Strengthen them by doing this move three times a week: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Pull your right knee to your chest with both hands, then lift your hips by pushing down into your left heel. Hold for six seconds, then return to start. Do six, then repeat on the other side.

Core Stability

Just because you bang out 50 crunches a day doesn't mean your abs are as strong as they should be: "The role of the entire core is to stabilize the spine while your arms and legs move," says celebrity trainer Valerie Waters, who has sculpted the bodies of A-listers such as Jennifer Garner and Kate Beckinsale. "Crunches flex your spine instead." Here's a better way to measure core strength.

The Test: Walk Outs
Get onto your hands and knees, palms flat on the floor, knees bent 90 degrees, and back flat (a). Slowly walk your hands away from your body, keeping your arms straight and your core and glutes engaged (b). Extend as far as you can, hold for 20 seconds, then slowly walk your hands back to the starting position, maintaining proper form and control. If you fall, drop your hips, or lose form at any point, retry the test.

Measure Up
Excellent If your thighs are nearly parallel to the ground
Good If your thighs are less than 45 degrees to the ground
Below Average If your thighs are more than 45 degrees to the ground and/or you're unable to hold the position for 20 seconds

Make Over Your Middle
If you fall below average, focus on doing a plank until you can hold it for 30 seconds: Get into a modified pushup position with your forearms on the floor and your legs extended straight behind you. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your feet. Engage your core and glutes and hold this pose. Or balance on something unstable—a stability ball, a BOSU trainer, a Valslide—during any exercise. Your core will have to work even harder to keep you steady.

Strength Training for Runners

by Tom Holland
Windy City Sports

If you're a runner who doesn't strength train, then I can almost guarantee that the question isn't if, but when you'll be sidelined due to injury.
 
The old belief that runners don't need to (and shouldn't) lift weights is outdated and usually put forth by runners who will defer marathon entries due to injury and/or become what I call "accidental triathletes" -- runners forced to swim and bike to rehabilitate running-related injuries.

I contend that running doesn't cause injuries, but rather illuminates our weak links and allows us to see what we need to improve upon. There's no greater way of determining how to improve our bodies than by listening to and accessing how we respond to running.

By pinpointing our weaknesses and working on strengthening them early on in life, we can build a strong musculoskeletal system that will carry us through our later years with little or no pain.
The problem with strength training and runners is that most have absolutely no idea what, when or how often to do it. The basic keys are as follows: runners need to lift weights consistently, correctly and at the right intensity:

• Consistently means two or three times a week for several months to truly begin to build a proper base of strength.
• Correctly refers to performing the exercises in a safe and effective manner with proper technique and muscle control.
• Right intensity relates to the amount of weight used for each exercise as well as the difficulty of each training session.

All three of these concepts might seem simple but are rarely implemented by runners.  
What many runners don't seem to realize is that they're lifting for injury prevention and running performance and these sessions aren't like the workouts you would do to simply look good. These are not vanity workouts, where toning and building muscle is the end goal.

Rather, these workouts are focused first and foremost on strengthening weak muscle groups and creating balance throughout the entire body. These workouts need not be long with multiple sets for each exercise. Many of these exercises are multi-joint exercises, ones that work several muscle groups at a time, thereby reducing the time needed for each workout.

Strength-training exercises 

The following are three great running-specific exercises. As they are advanced, they should be performed after you've built a significant base of strength through more basic exercises such as the leg press, regular squats and leg extensions.

These exercises incorporate unilateral movements and unstable surfaces to more closely approximate the biomechanics of running. They'll improve your running economy, leg strength, balance and coordination, and work stabilizer muscles while helping to eliminate muscular imbalances. Perform one to two sets of 15 repetitions of each, one to three times a week.

1. One-legged ball squats
Stand on one leg with a stability ball pressed against a wall with your back. Slowly squat to just above 90 degrees of knee bend, pause, then return to start position. Be sure to keep your knee behind your toes throughout the exercise (shown above).

2. Balance board split squats
Stand with one foot on a circular balance disc (a Bosu will also work). Bend your leg to just above 90 degrees of knee bend, pause, then return to start position. Be sure to keep your knee behind your toes throughout the exercise. You can also hold dumbbells or place your back leg up on a bench for added difficulty.

3. One-legged dumbbell deadlifts
This is one of the harder exercises to maintain proper form. Stand on one leg while holding dumbbells with knee slightly bent and shoulders pulled back. Bend slowly at the waist, making sure to keep your shoulders back and your back from rounding.

Pause when you feel a tightness in the back of your legs (with dumbbells roughly halfway down your shins) pause, then return to start position. You may do this exercise without weights until you're accustomed to the movement, then add dumbbells.

Reprinted, courtesy of Windy City Sports Magazine.

Exercise Your Way to Perfect Running Posture

Jeff Galloway
Runner's World
 

You'll find that you don't need to do all that much work to improve postural muscle strength. Once you get these muscles in shape, it takes very little maintenance to keep them that way.

After a few weeks of diligent strengthening, you'll be more efficient, and your running will feel easier.
When I realized I needed help with my posture about 10 years ago, I did some research and eventually came up with a program of eight to 10 strength exercises.

As I combined or eliminated certain ones over the years in my search for efficiency, I worked my program down to two basic exercises. Call it Jeff Galloway's Posture Program, and you don't have to go to a gym to do it.

Bent-Knee Crunches

To do these, lie on your back with knees bent at about a 90-degree angle. (Doing crunches with legs straight puts too much stress on the lower back.) With each crunch, lift your shoulder blades off the floor without "dropping" your head forward. (Bringing your head forward puts too much strain on the neck and shoulders.)
Go up till your shoulder blades are just a couple of inches off the floor. Come down slowly each time, but not all the way down. Keeping your stomach tight throughout the exercise will really work those abdominals. Try to do crunches every other day, working up to 40 or so per session.

Arm Running

To balance abdominal strength, you need to build up your back and sides, too. A great way to do this is by "arm running" with hand-held weights. (If you don't have dumbbells for this, you can always use water-filled plastic jugs or anything else of appropriate weight that can be grasped.)
To do the exercise, stand erect, hold onto the weights and begin moving your arms as you do during running, while keeping your feet firmly planted. You might want to glance at a mirror while you do this, so you'll be sure to stay in the proper posture. As with running, keep your elbows bent at roughly 90 degrees as you pump your arms. Continue until fatigue sets in. Try to do this exercise every other day.

Q&A: Are Super Flexible Runners More Injury-Prone?

[This Q&A from Core Performance is interesting for me because I'm pretty flexible and a PT once told me that it's harder for super flexible people to run fast, because they can't hold their pillar as strong.  So guess who is doing a bunch of core exercises this spring!  Look at the post before this for pillar strength info.  Also search "strength training" for more exercises. - TG]



Q: Can being super flexible make runners more prone to injury?
A: Superb flexibility doesn't necessarily make you more injury-prone unless you also lack stability. A combination of great mobility and poor stability is a recipe for injury because it's harder to control your movement when you run or do any activity.

If you have Gumby-like flexibility, use it to your advantage by spending extra time working on the stability of your hips, torso, and shoulders—also known as your "pillar." Every workout should include moves for your pillar like bridges and planks. Watch the videos below for a couple examples. For more exercises and advice on how to strengthen your pillar, click here.

Plank with Arm Lift (Click for details.)

Lateral Pillar Bridge (Click for details.)

Sue Falsone – As the Director of Performance Physical Therapy and Team Sports, Sue Falsone provides the critical link between therapy and performance. She develops and implements therapy regimens for athletes at Athletes' Performance.

Pillar Strength

from Core Performance  [I love the great exercises and info this website has. You can also get a daily exercise on FB if you Like them! - TG]

Overview

Pillar strength is the foundation for all movement. It consists of your hip, core, and shoulder stability. Those three areas provide a center axis from which to move. Think of your body as a wheel. Your pillar is the hub and your limbs are the spokes. Core Performance also uses the term "pillar strength" to refer to one of the main components in workouts. For instance, you might do your warm-up (which we call "movement prep") and then move on to the pillar strength portion of your training session, or vice versa.

How Pillar Strength Works

It’s impossible to move your limbs efficiently and forcefully if they’re not attached to something solid and stable. That’s your pillar—all the muscles that connect your hips, torso, and shoulders. When these areas are properly aligned, you can transfer energy throughout your body more effectively, so you’ll produce more strength and power with less fatigue.

Without pillar strength, you will significantly increase the potential for injury in a chain reaction that starts with your lower back, descends all the way to your knees and ankles, and rises up to your neck, shoulders and elbows.

Why Pillar Strength is Unique

The reason we train body movements instead of body parts is because everything about the body’s engineering is connected. What happens to the big toe affects the knees, the hips, and ultimately the shoulders.

The muscular system is both complex and simple, a series of muscular and fascial bands that work seamlessly to produce efficient movement. Many workout programs do more damage than good by producing muscle imbalances and inefficient movement patterns that sabotage this highly coordinated operating system that we’re born with.

Body-building based workouts view the physique as a series of parts and most people tend to think of movement as starting from the limbs. If we reach out to grab something or step forward, we think of those motions as originating with the end result—we’ve reached out therefore we’ve used our arms.

But movement starts from the very center of the body, the core area of the torso. That’s why we refer to the torso as the pillar – it’s the structural center of movement and life. The way we maintain that pillar—its alignment and function—directly correlates to the health of our organs and rest of our bodies. Everything is inter-related.

We’re not here to bash body-building, but to emphasize the importance of reprogramming your body to function properly—as nature intended—and to continually become stronger.

Instead of looking at movements as coming out of the arms and legs, remember that perfect posture starts at the pillar. If you can master the following three elements of pillar strength—shoulder stability, core stability and hip stability—both working out and in everyday movement, you will go a long way toward a healthier life.

The Anti-Aging Effect of Pillar Strength

Remember the way that movement evolves in infants. They move on their backs until one day this action allows them to roll over, initializing the hip crossover movement. Soon they progress to crawling, standing and, finally, walking. With each step, they realize how to stabilize their bodies.

Aging reverses that process. Many people lose the ability to squat and maintain their balance, creating poor posture. Eventually, they lose the ability to stand, surrendering the fundamental movement patterns they developed as toddlers. But instead of conceding this as an unavoidable part of aging, look at getting older as a process of taking these movements to new levels.

By including pillar strength in your training program, you’ll take your body to the highest levels of performance and movement capabilities by challenging yourself to increase flexibility and stability, which will in turn put you farther and farther away from the regression of aging.

Demand More of Your Core

Monica Schmidt, B.S.
Competitor Magazine from Active.com

Have you noticed that abdominal muscles adapt quickly to traditional abdominal exercises such as crunches and lifts? You may discover after maintaining your program for several weeks that a once-challenging workout is dull and easy. This rut, known as adaptation syndrome, will halt further muscle development. As strength gains diminish, new exercises must be introduced.

Frequently overlooked, static abdominal training, or "holding," may stimulate deeper muscle fibers and increase core strength. It's the job of core musculature to work as root muscles from which all human movement stems. The abdominals must contract statically (isometric) to anchor physical activity. Since it's the natural function of abdominals to support body weight, it's logical to train them in this fashion.

It's unfortunate that, although abdominals are comprised of four muscle layers, most of us focus on the layer that lies just below the surface of the skin, rectus abdominus. Known as the "six pack," this strip of muscle is trained for mostly aesthetics. Devotion to obtaining the ever elusive six pack may cause us to forget the function of strong abdominals, which is to provide torso stability, even for something as simple as standing up from a chair.

Three deeper layers of abs, external obliques, internal obliques and transverse abdominus, lie underneath the six pack. In addition to trunk flexion, the movement of sit ups and crunches, deep layers dictate rotational and lateral movements and aid in respiration. When all layers are strong and work in a coordinated effort to stabilize movement, you experience your core as a powerhouse from which all movement in sports, as well as daily function, is enhanced.

We're all familiar with basic ab exercises done lying flat on the back in a variety of patterns from lifts to twists. Among fitness experts, concerns of hip-flexor involvement and lower-back stress are prevalent pertaining to many abdominal exercises. Issues such as these are valid and complex, and will not be expanded upon here. Incorporating static abdominal exercises in your ab routine will not prompt greater concern with respect to this issue.


The Exercises

Static ab work can be experienced in several positions; a simple example is straight-arm push-up position, also known as plank. You may vary plank by trying the side version and allowing only one arm as support. If desired, add even more difficultly by extending one leg upward.

You might notice that exercises such as these require strength in the arms and shoulders. As your abs gain static strength, your body weight will seem lighter and your arms more able to base the position.

An analogy is to think of moving a bed. A box spring is easier to move, as opposed to a soft mattress. When you mimic the box spring and your body is tight, your arms feel more proficient in handling the weight.

Considering this, stay rigid in core muscles and if arms still feel weak think of the work as an opportunity to strengthen muscles here as well, and more importantly to create a "kinetic chain" of coordinated static contraction that originates in the abs and like a domino effect spreads to the chest, shoulders and arms.

The boat, the crow and the staff, all of which can be found as part of power yoga, Pilates, and/or functional training routines, are static positions that promote ultimate abdominal strength. Try these movements in a series, mixing the order periodically for variety.

Overall, remember that any movement that requires you to hold your own body weight steady requires static strength in abdominal muscles and will enhance core stability. Advanced versions of this principle are inversions such as handstand or headstand, both of which require supervision to learn if you don't already possess the skill.

Although static work is effective, you shouldn't abandon your old routine entirely. Rather, eliminate some exercises, making changes gradually. Work up to holding static positions for five seconds each.


Tips and Cautions

Static work may cause holding the breath; be mindful to keep breathing. High blood pressure patients should check with a physician before experimenting with these exercises. If you experience chronic wrist pain or weakness, wearing wrist supports will be helpful.

Monica Schmidt has a BS in exercise science. Contact her at 561-789-8080 or info@somethingyoga.com.

3 Medicine Ball Workouts to Build Your Core

Bicycling magazine


Barbells and dumbbells are fine to pump up your muscles, but if you want what fitness freaks call core strength—the kind that makes your whole body strong from abs to fingertips—it's time to get some balls.
Medicine balls are making a big comeback in athletic training, and with good reason.

Because they involve twisting, turning and bending, medicine ball workouts train all the supporting muscles that don't get stressed during traditional strength-training exercises.

They also tend to use full-body movements, instead of just an arm or a leg curl, so they're unbeatable for increasing your core, or trunk, strength.

The better your core strength, the better you're able to transfer power through your body to your pedals. Plus, strong back and ab muscles help you ride longer without fatigue.


Medicine balls really work your central nervous system and connective tissues, so take the movements slow and easy when you start the exercises.

1. Downward Chop

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the ball behind your head, and then swing it down between your legs as if chopping wood. (Bend your knees slightly as you come down, as you would if you were hiking a football between your legs.)

Then swing it back up behind your head, straightening your body as you lift up. Start at a slow pace. Work up speed as you advance.

2. Squat and Toss

Stand with feet spread about shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, upper body straight. Hold the ball at your chest. Squat down and then extend your legs up, throwing the ball directly overhead. (Not too high.)
Catch the ball, giving with your wrists and elbows to absorb the impact. Bring ball back to chest and repeat.

3. Side Chop

Kneel with knees spread about shoulder-width apart. Hold ball with both hands above your left shoulder. Bring the ball across your body and down to the outside of your right knee. Bring it back across your body to the starting position. Do a full set on each side.

For All Exercises:

• 10 reps on each set
 
• Start with one set, work up to two
 
• Use a 6- or 8-pound medicine ball
 
• Do this two days per week

8 Pilates Exercises for a Tighter Tummy

Happy Holidays!  I hope everyone has a Merry Christmas!

By Jen Ator
Women's Health from Active.com

You've probably read about celebs extolling the virtues of Pilates (lean legs, a supertaut tummy), or maybe even heard the hype from mat-class-obsessed friends. If you're still skeptical, keep reading: "Pilates puts your muscles—especially the smaller, stabilizing ones—under constant tension over a large range of motion to create that enviable long, lean look," says Lauren Piskin, owner of Physicalmind Studio in New York City. What's more, one study found that women who swapped their usual routines for two 60-minute Pilates sessions a week saw significant increases in abdominal endurance, hamstring flexibility, and upper-body muscular endurance.

Problem is, these perks often come with a hefty price tag: A few sessions a week (typically using a bed-size contraption called a Reformer) can set you back hundreds of dollars. So Piskin created this at-home total-body workout, which gives your abs some extra love without damaging your bottom line. All you need is a Pilates ball. "The ball mimics the resistance of the machine to challenge your muscles as you move through fluid movements," says Piskin. Do the following sequence two or three times a week. Starting with the first move, do eight to 10 reps of each exercise with little to no rest between exercises.


Mermaid with Ball



Sit with the ball at your left side, and bend your left leg in front of you, your right leg behind you. Place your left hand on the ball, elbow slightly bent, and extend your right arm out to your side at shoulder level (a). Brace your core and roll the ball out to the left as far as you can while reaching your right arm over your head (b). Hold for two or three seconds, then roll the ball back toward your body and return to the starting position. That's one rep. Finish all reps, then switch sides and repeat.

Rollover



Lie faceup on the floor or an exercise mat with your arms at your sides, palms down, legs straight. Lift your legs until they're perpendicular to the floor, feet flexed (a). Keeping your shoulders relaxed and legs straight, brace your core and raise your hips, slowly reaching your legs behind your head as far as you possibly can and pointing your toes behind you (b). Slowly reverse the movement to return to start. That's one rep.

Footwork on Ball


Lie faceup, arms by your sides, palms facing down. Bend your knees and place the balls of your feet on top of the ball, heels together and toes pointing slightly outward in a small V shape (a). Engage your core and contract your glutes to lift your hips an inch off the floor, then roll the ball away from you until your heels are on the ball (b). Pause, then bend your knees to roll the ball back to the starting position. That's one rep.

Swan on Ball


Lie facedown with your legs extended shoulder-width apart behind you. Position the ball under your chest and rest your forearms on the floor, palms down, elbows close to your body (a). Bring your shoulder blades back and down, press your palms lightly on the floor, and slowly lift your head and chest as you lengthen your spine (b). Hold for two or three seconds (imagine trying to create as much space between your ears and toes as possible), then return to the starting position. That's one rep.

Back Arm Rowing

Sit with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor about hip-width apart. Extend your arms straight in front of you, palms up. Your back should be straight, your chest up (a). Brace your core, curl your tailbone under, and slowly lower your upper body to a 45-degree angle. At the same time, bend your arms to bring your elbows close to your body, closing your hands into fists and pulling them toward your shoulders at eye level (b). Pause, then reverse the motion to return to start. That's one rep.

Mermaid with Twist


Sit on your left hip with your left leg flat on the floor, knee bent 90 degrees, and your left palm on the floor. Bend your right knee toward the ceiling and place your right foot flat on the floor in front of your left foot; rest your right arm on your right knee (a). Shift your weight onto your left arm and straighten both legs to raise your hips toward the ceiling while extending your right arm directly over your head (b). From this position, twist your torso down and to the left, reaching your right arm underneath your body (c). Reverse the movement to return to the starting position. That's one rep. Finish all reps on that side, then switch sides and repeat.

Roll Back and Up


Sit with your legs extended straight out in front of you, feet flexed. Hold the ball in front of you at shoulder level, arms straight. Keep your chest up and back straight (a). Contract your core and glutes, then slowly roll back until your back is flat on the floor and the ball is directly overhead (b). From that position, bring your chin to your chest and slowly roll back up to the starting position. That's one rep.

Coordination with Ball


Lie faceup with your hips and knees bent 90 degrees; hold the ball with both hands, arms straight. Bend your elbows and lower the ball toward your chest, pressing your hands firmly against the ball (a). Brace your abs, extend your arms in front of you, curl your shoulders off the floor, and straighten your legs (b). Hold for one or two seconds, then reverse to return to start. That's one rep.

5 Reasons to Strengthen Your Core

By The Editors of Women's Health
Women's Health

taken from Active.com

Strengthening your core (the muscles from your hips to your shoulders) is like giving yourself a full-body makeover: You'll feel smarter, younger, and better all over. Mark Verstegen, author of Core Performance (Rodale 2004), makes the case for a hard core workout.  [This is a great book BTW - L]

1. It Reduces And Prevents Pain
"A strong core stabilizes you and works like a natural brace for your joints."

2. It Makes You Look Taller and Thinner
"When you strengthen your upper back and shoulders, the muscles are pulled back and down, removing any trace of a hunch."

3. It Delays the Aging Process
"A strong core keeps your body aligned, so that you can function properly."

4. It Improves Mental Function
"Having a stable and aligned spine allows your brain to receive your body's messages more efficiently."

5. It Improves Performance
"Stabilizing your core hones your fine motor skills, so you can react quickly and stay balanced on unstable surfaces."

Pilates: The Core Builder These three Pilates exercises from Michelle Dozois of Breakthru Fitness Pilates in Pasadena, California, will work your core from all angles.

Double-Leg Stretch


Lie with knees and hips bent 90 degrees, shoulders off the floor, hands on shins. Pull your abs in and flat, extend legs and arms to 45 degrees, and circle your arms. Repeat 10 times.

Side-Lying Double-Leg Lift


Lie on your side with legs stacked, head on bottom arm, top arm on the floor. Squeeze legs together and lift off the floor. Hold for a breath, return to start. Do 10 reps, switch sides.

Reverse Plank with Leg Raise


Sit with legs outstretched, hands behind your butt, fingers forward. Press onto your hands, and lift your right leg, keeping hips raised. Hold 3 seconds. Repeat 5 times for each leg


Photos by Darryl Estrine

Smart Fitness: Work on Your Core Strength

Ed Fitzsimmons
Buffalo News
from active.com

The phrase "core strength" is heard often around health clubs these days. Just what is it?
 
Core strength is not just strong stomach muscles. True core strength is the ability of the "middle" of the body to hold correct posture, maintain balance, have a strong awareness of body and limbs in space and the functional strength to properly use it all.

The muscles of the core and trunk must learn and possess the strength to pull against each other, creating a strong and stable base. This base allows the limbs a stable platform to work from. With a stronger core, the legs and arms and will have more strength and power to perform smoother and with less chance of injury.
The absence of this core strength is the precursor to the increasing number and severity of "non-contact" knee and shoulder injuries. In order to obtain this functional core/trunk strength you must first train movements, then add strength. If too much weight is applied early, the motions are learned and strengthened incorrectly.
Training is the process of teaching the muscles and groups of muscles to be bio-mechanically correct in their motions. Then slowly strengthen the muscles and the movements together, allowing and enhancing proper movements.

Core Exercises 

Two good exercise examples for strengthening the core are "Chops" and "Lunges." Chops mimic the actions of chopping wood. When performing Chops, keep the chest up and knees slightly bent, chop to the right left and center.

Lunges are performed with the chest and upper torso upright. Step comfortably forward with one leg and bend the knees. The back knee will continue to flex and move straight down until just above the floor. Stop and recover if the torso begins to flex forward. Keep the effort distributed mostly on the back half of the front foot.

Keeping the chest up is critical to bring in the core/trunk muscles to train their correct involvement.

Progression

The process is initiated by using body weight or less to begin the training. Examples are squatting with only a stick on the shoulders or using a leg press machine to push less than your own body weight. Next some light implements such as the medicine ball, light bars and dumb bells can be used.

When movements and muscle comfort are good, a balance component will be increased, not the weight. This makes the body include the very important joint stabilizing muscles, mimicking sports activities.

The last aspect is to significantly strengthen the muscle movements and keep the muscles being used in the lifting activity. By incorporating and combining many movements together in lifting patterns, larger weights or more complicated positions can be used because the entire body is being called on to work.

These higher level lifts are called multi-joint lifts. These sequenced, patterned lifts keep the core strong, the body functionally strong and safer in activities.

Suggested Routine

Here is a suggested routine to begin to trigger functional core/trunk strength gains:

Using the two exercises explained earlier start with one set of five to seven reps. You can progress and increase the difficulty, safely and effectively in one of four ways. Never change more than one factor at the same time:
1. Increase the number of reps in your set (stop at 15).
2. Increase the number of sets (stop at four).
3. Exercise on a softer surface such as an exercise mat.
4. Add weight to hold in your hands, very small weight -- one pound to three pounds -- and add very slowly.

The program should be done every other day. Always check with your doctor before starting any exercise program.

Ed Fitzsimmons is functional conditioning specialist with the University at Buffalo Athletics-Sports Performance. E-mail fitness questions to m_adesso@hotmail.com.

3 Advanced Core Exercises For Killer Abs

A little late, but this week I've decided to post on core exercises...

By Kisar S. Dhillon
For Active.com 


There is not a day that passes that I do not see an infomercial or someone at the gym that is doing an abdominal exercise or expressing to someone that they want sculpted and defined abs.

Along with a very good diet, it is possible to get that lean look that everyone desires, but you can't just do the same old crunches and sit-ups that you see on television or in magazines. In order for your body to get the results you strongly desire, it needs to be surprised constantly with new and stimulating exercises.

I have outlined three different exercises below that you can add to your abdominal and core (Transverse Abdominus -- TA) routine. These are more advanced type movements that are targeted to work your core, abdominals, lower legs and hip region.

In order to do these exercises you have to be at an intermediate to advance fitness level and not be suffering from any muscle injuries (e.g. lower back area). If you are, then I would recommend not doing these exercises until your body is fully recovered or you're cleared by your physician.

OBLIQUE PLANK CRUNCH

Targets: Entire Core (TA), Oblique Muscles, Hip Flexors, Abductors  




Steps:

1. Go into a full plank on your forearms
2. Bring your Right knee and try to touch the back side of your right arm (triceps area) and then back
3. Bring your Left knee and try to touch the back side of your left arm (triceps area) and then back
4. Do 3 sets of 30 reps/side (a total of 60 reps/set)
5. Count your repetitions underneath your breath so are constantly having air exchange.

STABILITY BALL CRUNCH W/10LB BALL

Targets: Abdominal Muscles, TA Muscles, Triceps (Isometric), Lower Leg Muscles (for Stability);



Steps:

1. Roll your back on the stability so that your lower back is in the middle portion of the ball. If this hurts your lower back or makes it tight, you can lower it down further until it feels comfortable.
2. Place the 10 lb (or less) behind your neck and support it with your hands so it is nice and comfortable.
3. Do a small abdominal crunch so that it flexes enough to activate the abdominal/core muscles, but do not come all the way up. You only need a small amount of flexion in this abdominal area and then release & repeat.
4. Do 3 sets of 30 reps (a total of 60 reps/set)
5. Count your repetitions underneath your breath so are constantly having air exchange.

BALANCED CRUNCH W/HIP FLEXION

Targets: Abdominal Muscles, Core Muscles (TA)


Steps:

1. Start out by sitting on your bottom with your legs slightly bent in front of you.
2. Bend your legs so they are at a 45 degree angle and lift them off the ground.
3. With your Left Hand Touch your Right Toe and then alternate to the other side
4. With your Right Hand Touch your Left Toe and then alternate to the other side
5. Do 3 sets of 30 reps/side (a total of 60 reps/set)
6. Count your repetitions underneath your breath so are constantly having air exchange.

Kisar Dhillon is a professional fitness trainer living in Orange County, California. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology, Post Baccalaureate Studies in Exercise Physiology and a Masters in Business Administration. He has more than 16 years in the health & fitness industry and is currently the owner of 1-2-1 Fitness, LLC.

4 Resistance Band Workouts to Sculpt Your Body

Always good to have a band and exercises at home to use if you can't make it to the gym or are traveling...

By the Editors ofWomen's Health
Women's Health from Active.com

Few workout tools beat the efficiency of the multitasking resistance band, which costs under 20 bucks and takes up less space in your bag than an iPod. "Plus, it works your muscles at a full range of motion, targeting parts that are often missed by free weights," says Hannah Davis, a personal trainer at Club H Fitness in New York City (bodybyhannah.com), who created the routine below.

Do this workout as a circuit: Complete 10 to 12 reps of each move without resting between the exercises. Rest for 30 seconds, then return to start and repeat. Do three sets per session up to five days a week.

BODY-SHAPING BAND

For this workout, Davis recommends using a set of resistance bands like the Thera-Band Latex-Free 3-Pack, which comes with three bands in varying levels of resistance. $11 and up, protherapysupplies.com

1. CURTSY LUNGE AND SWORD DRAW



Hold one end of the band in your right hand, the other under your right foot. Cross your left leg behind you and drop into a curtsy lunge. Lift your right elbow diagonally, fist in front of your shoulder (a). Without moving your upper arm, raise your fist (b). Pause, then slowly lower to start. That's one rep. Do 10 to 12.

2. SEATED ROW

Sit on the floor with your legs straight and loop the resistance band securely around your feet, holding an end in each hand, arms extended in front of you (a). Keep your back straight and shoulders square. Tuck your elbows close to your sides as you pull the band to each side of your torso, squeezing your shoulder blades together (b). Pause, then slowly return to start. That's one rep. Do 10 to 12.

3. PUSHUP WITH RESISTANCE

Start in a pushup position, with your legs extended straight behind you and your hands shoulder-width apart. Position the band across your shoulder blades with tight resistance, each end tucked under a hand (a). Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor (b), then push back to start. That's one rep. Do 10 to 12.

4. FROG PUSH

Lie faceup, bend your hips and knees 90 degrees, and loop the band around your feet, crossing the band to create an X. Hold an end in each hand just above your shoulders or hips (a). From this position, brace your core and slowly extend your legs into the air straight in front of you (b). Pause, then return to start. That's one rep. Do 10 to 12.