My Favorite Core Exercises

Having a good core prevents me from muscle injuries and helps me perform daily tasks. Also, a good core protects my back against the pulling, lifting , pushing and bending I do as a registered nurse.

1. Plank

A plank is an exercise that helps sculpt your waistline and improve posture. Plank helps tone the abdomen areas and increase flexibility. When I first did a plank, I would shake a lot because my core was so weak. I started from 20 seconds and now I’m able to do 2-3 minutes straight. If you have never done a plank, I suggest you start with 20 seconds and increase up as time goes on. I have used the Pinterest plank challenge for 30 days to help strengthen my core.

Pinterest Plank hallenge for 30 days

Directions For Plank:

While in a plank, make sure your back is perfectly straight. Go down on your elbows and come up till your butt is in line with your back, head in neutral position, hold your hands and hold for minutes and engage your core. People always tell me they cannot do a plank, if he or she is not strong enough for a full plank, try doing the modified plank, go on down on your knees and you can hold up your legs or keep them on the ground.

Modified Plank (I do not own the right to this video, this video is showing you the correct way to perform planks).

 

Regular Plank (I do not own the right to this video, this video is showing you the correct way to perform planks).

2.  A bonus core move when you master the plank is the side plank.  Side Plank helps reduce fat on the sides of your stomach. Side plank strengthens the shoulders and arms too.

Direction For Side Plank

While lying on your side, put feet on top of one another, shoulder over the elbows and make sure your hips are straight, lift up or you can keep hands on the floor.

 

Side Plank (I do not own the right to this video, this video is showing you the correct way to perform side planks).

3.  Russian Twist

Russian twist engages all the abdomen muscles.  I like the Russian twist because you can use one 5 or 10 lb. weight  or a can of soup or ball or no weight with this exercise. This exercise helps trim down your abdomen and waistline. I am using Pinterest Russian twist challenge for 30 days. You start from 25 twists and work your way to 200 twists.

 

Direction For Russian twist :

Lay on your back then sit up with your knees bent. You can use 1 weight, a can of soup or ball. You just twist from side to side. For more advanced moves, keep the feet off the ground with legs crossed, hold stomach and contract the muscle as you twist side to side.

Russian Twist (I do not own the right to this video, this video is showing you  the correct way to perform twist).

 

4.  My favorite core body workout is the hollow body holds. This is great for strengthening the core and works out all abdomen muscles.

Directions For Hollow Body Holds:

This is how to do hollow body: lie down flat on your back and contract the abs, pulling the belly button towards the floor. The arms and legs should be held straight out from the body with hands and toes pointed. Slowly raise the shoulders and legs from the ground.

Hollow Body Holds (I do not own the right to this video, this video is showing you  the correct way to perform Hollow Body Holds).

5. Abs roller /Ab Wheel

For anyone with chronic back problems or lower back problem should not do the ab roller.

Instruction:

kneel on the floor and grab the handles of the Ab Wheel. Your shoulders start over the wheel.  Brace your core (suck in your stomach) and slowly roll the wheel forward, extending your body as far as you can. Use your abdominal muscles to pull the wheel back to the starting position.  If you are having trouble with ab wheel work on planks to strengthen your back.

 

Ab Wheel (I do not own the right to this video, this video is showing you  the correct way to perform Ab Wheel).

6. Slider discs/ Core slider

I have increased my balance and strengthen my core by using the slider discs/ core slider/glider .  I like that with the sliders disc/ core sliders he or she can do a full body workout with just using them. The workouts I like to do with the sliders are slider mountain climber , slider burpees and slider plank to pike one leg to engage my core. If you do not have sliders you can use paper plates. 

 

Core tips 

1. I do abs workout 3 days a week, I rotated the days so I can give my core rest days.
2. I did Planks daily for one month to build up my core strength. 
3. I do strength training 30min 4 – 5 days a week.
4. I eat a balanced diet. 

 

My abs workout video is a 30 second interval workout challenge 

                                                    Workout equipment need

• Weights 8-10 lbs or any weights or soup cans or water  bottles for the Russian twist 
• sliders or paper plates 
• AB roller 
• Resistance bands 
• All of the products can be find on Amazon or in stores.

The video started with me doing the following for 30 second: 

• Planks 30 seconds
• Hollow body holds 30 second
• Russian Twist 30 second 
• Sliders 30 second

-mountain climbers 

-slider burpees 

slider plank to pike one leg 

•  AB roller 30 second ( Do as much ab roller you can do in the 30 second with proper form. If you do the ab roller without proper form he or she can injure their back).
• resistance band squats ( Place resistance band in the center of your thighs and squats, side to side).

 

P.S I wear a sweatband to help engage my core more. I purchase  it from amazon, plus I use it with my workouts, great sweat.

 

 

 

“If you feel insignificant, you better think again.Better wake up because you’re part of something way bigger. You’re part of something way bigger.Not just a speck in the universe.Not just some words in a bible verse.You are the living word. Ahh, you’re part of something way bigger. Bigger than you, bigger than we.Bigger than the picture they framed us to see.But now we see it and it ain’t no secret”. I love Beyonce new song “Bigger” because we are created for something bigger than ourselves. I believe that God has a purpose for us.

 

 

 

 

 

For more ab workout please check out Sworkit Ab & Core Workouts App its free. I like this app because your practice from the lowest five minutes to the highest 60 minutes.