Kaboutjie SA Mommy Blogs by Lynne Huysamen
Yes we would all love awesome looking abs – a six pack would be incredible wouldn’t it? I for one would love my bikini body back after having two kids!
While many people want to work on their core strength mainly to look great, having a strong core has many health benefits that are hard to ignore.
Your core protects your central nervous system and all your internal organs. Having a strong core will make you less prone to physical injuries. You will also have better posture and be less likely to suffer from back pain.
If you are wanting to get fit and healthy it is important to focus on cardio exercises that will get your heart pumping, as well as exercises that will build your body’s core strength.
It is important to remember that while it is quite easy to strengthen certain muscles and tone parts of your body, it is not so easy to target fat loss in specific places. Weight loss will happen when you start eating well and exercising regularly.
Building core stability and strength should be high on your list of priorities when it comes to your health, here are some effective ways for your to strengthen your core from home:
Crunches for Core Strength
Whenever I think of working my abs or core strength the first thing that comes to mind is doing crunches. They are a really effective way to work your abdominal muscles to build core strength. While doing crunches won’t necessarily help you to lose weight or burn belly fat they certainly will help to strengthen your body’s core. The only way to really burn fat is through healthy eating and regular cardio exercise. Once you have lost the weight crunches will help to strengthen, tone and flatten your stomach.
There is no need to just stick to the classic crunch, there are lots of variations to make the exercise more fun and effective.
Planking Your Way To Core Strength
Planking is a classic exercise for core strength that is highly effective. If you are new to the plank exercise then it may be really hard to start off with. You can also add different variations of this exercise to build more strength and to make it more fun and enjoyable.
Planking is not just good for your core, it also comes with many other benefits including boosting your metabolism, improving coordination, increasing flexibility and reducing the risk of back and spinal injury.
Yoga Exercises For Core Strengthening
Yoga is a very popular form of exercise for women and it isn’t hard to see why! Yoga is fun and relaxing, as well as a great form of exercise.
Yoga routines that engage the stomach and thigh areas are great for strengthening your core. Better yet, many of these moves also have other benefits, specifically, helping you strengthen your back and relieve back pain. They can be done at home, outside, or even in the office. You can even combine yoga with a good balance ball chair to engage your core as you sit!
Pilates To Strengthen Your Core
Yoga and Pilates are very similar but Yoga flows from one position to the next and the focus is very much on relaxation and bringing the mind, body and spirit together. Yoga is done on a mat, while Pilates is mostly performed on a mat, but can also include exercise machines. Pilates works the entire body as well as the mind.
Just like Yoga, Pilates is excellent for building your cores strength. Pilates also has many other health benefits including improved balance and coordination, increased flexibility, safe rehabilitation for spinal injuries and joints, improved lung capacity and circulation, rehabilitation and prevention of injuries due to muscle imbalances and balanced muscular strength.
Pilates was introduced by Joseph Pilates (a fitness instructor) 1920 to help injured dancer and athletes return to exercise safely and to maintain their fitness. It has since been adapted into the Pilates we know today for the general public.
Superman Back Exercises
Most core exercises focus on the front of the core and it is important to also work on the posterior side of your core too. To work on the back of your core lie flat on your stomach with your arms stretched out like you are flying like a plane. Keep your legs straight out and close together. Stretch your neck out.
Then lift your arms and legs off the ground and pause for a while before lowering them again. Repeat this 10 times.
Mix It Up
There are loads of fitness instructors on Youtube that publish exercise videos that you can follow from home, very often they have taken a number of different types or core exercises and mixed them together to create the ultimate core workouts.
There are also some really good HIIT workouts that have cardio mixed in with some core strengthening exercises for some great full body workouts.
One tends to forget how important a strong core is! A few years ago I was in a really bad car accident.
My head, neck and back got hurt in the process. The doctor encouraged me to strengthen my core, as it would help my posture and can even relieve some of the aches I get.
Sadly I’ve neglected my exercise routine, now that I’m pregnant all the aches are amplified. 😐
I know there’s pregnancy safe pilates! Should perhaps give that a try.
I maintain a schedule on doing planks on routine daily and maintained my abs 100%.
I don’t believe in dieting rather eat well and ensure you burn it off well 🙂
Fantastic article though, definitely a good read
I’m a lazy exercise person. I start off with a bang and with the smallest excuse end in a fizzle. But I have to try these exercises because I have a spinal injury from 20 years back which is starting to act up. The physiotherapist says it’s a combination of 3 pregnancies and other added stresses. So I will make the effort to exercise and strengthen my core muscles
After 3 kids through cesarean my body is out of shape and I look preggies all the time quiet annoying I’ve done plank and I heard reverse plank is even better I’m very keen to try superman back exercise as I suffer with my back where I hardly ever sleep I’m determined this year to make a difference this article is an encouragement
Thanks for sharing this article.
This is something I really need to work on.
I have so much trouble with lower back pain and I’ve read that if your core muscles are in great shape, then it will eliminate lower back pain.
I will have to make some time to do these exercises because I know this is something that will greatly benefit me.
I have doing exercise and being a working Mom I don’t always find the time for exercise as well. Running after my 19 month old boy is usually where I get my exercise from.
The above mentioned exercises look pretty simple and can be done at home. I think the best time for me to do them is in the morning when I wake up before my first cup of coffee.
@Lynne, I have always wondered what the difference is between Pilates and Yoga, thank you! Although it sounds so easy and simple to do, finding the time is a constant struggle. I really want try yoga but I know myself so well, I will start and be good for a week, tops. Then it withers away. I really am terrible. I completely agree with you regarding having a strong core. It is so important that even my little ones school, tests the children’s core and it actually appears on her report card. The teachers have also listed so many reasons as to why it is vital for them to have strong cores. The main reason being that it can affect posture, which can also affect gross motor and fine motor skills.