How I strengthen my core
Starting exercise after a layoff, I always have back trouble. The muscles in my lower back hurt and the pain radiates down my butt to my thighs, because the back is compensating for weak abdominals and hip muscles. So, I focus on the core muscles for several days when starting back to exercise, then work them twice a week. Here’s what I do:
- Crunch - Just a standard ab crunch, no muss, no fuss, done til I can feel it burn.
- Air Squats - When I was a kid, we called them ‘deep-knee bends’, but I guess we aren’t allowed to refer to knees anymore. Knees offend easily.
- Stairs - No, not “I must have walked the stairs 20 times today”. It’s lacing up the shoes and heading up and down the stairs ten or twenty times without stopping. The heart pounds and the sweat drips.
- Lunges - I typically do these before my walks a couple times each week to warm up the muscles.
After a couple weeks, I add a few more varieties of crunches - twisting, raised legs, etc. Trying to work and balance the muscles more. I also focus on “Balance” with a big “B”. Place an object on the floor. Stand on one foot. Pick it up. Stand straight up, still on one foot. Put it down. Repeat 10 times, then switch legs. You’ll feel it.
What do you do?
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