Core Strengthening Exercises

Top 3 Core Strengthening Exercises. In the world of fitness, everyone talks about the CORE. Core this, core that, this will help your core, this will strengthen your core, etc.

 While it may just seem like the latest buzz word for some, the fact is your core is incredibly important as it dictates how well your body operates for many of the movements we do on a daily basis.

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 Walking, running, and lifting in just about any direction is controlled at least in part by the muscle in your core region. A strong and agile core means less injury and a more able body in most cases.

 Now, if you aren’t familiar with the term at all, your core refers to the centralized area of your body starting from roughly the body of your ribcage and going down to your upper thighs.When referring to the core, we are talking about both the front AND back of your body including your abdominals, lower back muscles, hip and upper thigh muscles as well. Keeping this area strong will help you no matter what type of exercise you do.

Below are the top 3 core strengthening exercises you can add to your workout to make sure this area of your body is well conditioned and up to whatever challenge you put in front of it:

1. Kettlebell Swings-The kettlebell is a relatively new piece of exercise equipment in the West, but it has been used in Russia and other parts of the world for hundreds of years.

 The basic exercise consists of swinging the cannonball looking weight between the legs and out in front of you to eye level or even higher. This motion is almost perfect in its ability to strengthen the entire core region as well as provide amazing cardiovascular benefits all the while.

 2. Hip-Up or Bridge-Laying on your back with your hands slightly to the side and straight out and your feet flat on the ground, push your pelvis into the air until it won’t go any higher without more intense effort…hold the position for a count of 5, then slowly lower to the ground.

 Repeat this and aim for more and more range of motion with each rep. This exercise is great for your abs, hip, upper thighs and your butt. Pulling down on your hip bones with your hands as you go up will help to increase your range of motion as you perform this exercise.This one is GREAT for helping to prevent back and hip injuries as you increase flexibility AS you strengthen your muscles in this area.

3. The Plank-This one is an incredibly powerful core exercise, but also pretty hard to do for beginners. The Plan requires you to support your body using only your forearms and toes…your forearms are flat on the ground with your hands balled in fists touching and your fists pretty much directly under where your head is.

 The object is to keep your body straight as a “plank” while you hold yourself in that position for as long as you can. Beginners should aim for several 30 second intervals and gradually increase your time as your core muscles strengthen. Don’t hold the position until you are shaking violently as you may end up injuring your back muscles unnecessarily.

There are certainly many more than just 3 core exercises, but working to include the top 3 listed above will get your core strengthening off in the right direction and allow you to better handle whatever life, or YOU throws at your body.

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