Core and Flexibility Workout to Strengthen Your Body

Core and Flexibility Workout to Strengthen Your Body

This workout focuses on strengthening the core with challenging exercises targeting the rectus abdominis, obliques, transverse abdominis, and the lower back. The flexibility exercises stretch the entire body with a focus on the back and hips. Do this workout after your regular cardio workout or on its own for a challenging, yet relaxing, workout.

Precautions

See your doctor before trying this workout if you have any injuries, illnesses or other conditions and modify any exercise that causes pain or discomfort.

Equipment Needed

An exercise ball, medicine ball, a resistance band and a mat.

How To

• Warm up with light cardio or do this workout after your regular cardio workout
• Complete each exercise as shown, modifying when necessary
• Do this workout 2-3 times a week with a day of rest in between

Paige Waehner

Begin on hands and knees. Engage the abs and lift the right arm and left leg until level with the body, holding your balance and keeping torso tight. Lower back down and repeat with the left arm and right leg.

Repeat for 2 sets of 12 reps, alternating sides (one rep includes both the right and left sides).

Paige Waehner

Lie with the ball under shoulders, neck, and head, hips lifted in a bridge position, and take the arms straight up over the chest holding a light weight or medicine ball. Tighten your abs and rotate your torso to the left as far as you can, allowing the hips and legs to move naturally with the motion. Rotate your ​​back up and then go to the other side for 2 sets of 12 reps on each side (one rep includes both the right and left sides).

Paige Waehner

Lie on your side balanced on the forearm, feet, and hips stacked on top of one another.

Holding the torso steady, slowly contract your abs and lift the hips off the floor (don't sink into shoulder). Lower and repeat. To modify, keep the knees bent or take the feet wider rather than stacked. You can also put one knee down for more support.

Repeat for 2 sets of 10 reps on each side.

Paige Waehner

Sit holding a medicine ball with knees bent and lean back slightly, torso straight. Rotate to the right, squeezing the abs and touch the medicine ball to the floor. Come back to center and rotate to the left.

Repeat, alternating sides for 2 sets of 10 reps (one rep is to the right and left).

Plank. Paige Waehner

Place forearms on the floor and press up into a flat-back position on the toes, keeping the hips down so that the body is in a straight line from head to heels.

Hold for 30 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat. To modify take one or both knees to the floor.

Band woodchop. Paige Waehner

Attach one end of a resistance band to something sturdy near the floor, grasp band in both hands and begin in a lunge position, facing the band. Keeping the arms straight, rotate the body to the opposite side and sweep the arms up on a diagonal, rotating the hips and knees as well, contracting the obliques.

Repeat for 2 sets of 12 reps on each side.

Ball rollouts. Paige Waehner

Kneel in front of the ball and place your hands on the ball parallel to one another. Roll the ball out keeping the hips straight and back straight. Roll out until you feel the abs engage (don't arch or strain the back) and push into the ball to roll back in.

Repeat for 2 sets of 10 reps.

Standing hamstring stretch. Paige Waehner

Quad stretch. Paige Waehner

Shoulder stretch. Paige Waehner

Figure 4 hip stretch. Paige Waehner

Pigeon stretch. Paige Waehner

More

Bring the knees up and bend them to 90 degrees, shins parallel to the floor and arms out to the sides. Contract the abs and rotate the torso to lower the legs to the right, bringing them down to the floor. Keep the left shoulder flat on the floor and release any tension in your waist and back. Hold the stretch for about 5 breaths, bring the knees back to center and repeat on the other side.

Spine twist. Paige Waehner

Side child's pose. Paige Waehner

Begin on your hands and knees and sit back onto the heels, walking the hands forward and stretching the arms out. You can take the knees wide if that's more comfortable. Relax your forehead on the floor and walk the hands a few inches to the right, feeling a stretch down the left side. Hold for a few breaths before walking the hands to the right.

Original article and pictures take www.verywell.com site