Bored? Give Me 3 Minutes to a Strong Core!
Most people report that a lack of time is the number one reason they don’t exercise on a regular basis. Well, most can’t use that excuse anymore as many are looking for things to occupy their time during our Stay-at-Home order.
What if I told you that if you gave me just three minutes, three times per week, you would notice considerable improvements to your core strength?!
Strengthening your core is critical for optimal health. If your core is strong, that strength radiates out to your extremities and you will be better able to run faster, jump higher, stabilize and align your body, absorb and brace for any impact and move your body more efficiently and with better mechanics. It’s important to mention that your core is not only your abs – but also includes your back and hips so to strengthen your core effectively you need to work the front, back and sides of your torso.
My suggestion is to use this quarantine period to take a focused effort at strengthening your core.
Here’s a workout that can condition your entire core in a quick 3 minute format.
Choose 3 different Core Exercises of the following – one stabilization exercise, one flexion or rotation of the spine and one hip exercise or back extension.
Perform each of these 3 exercises for 20 seconds and continue for 3 sets (3 minutes) with no rest in between.
Exercises that would be considered core stabilization:
Planks, Side planks, V-sit, Bridging, “Dead Bug” variations, Stability Ball roll-outs, Stability Ball Plank to Pike
Exercises that would be considered flexion or rotation of the spine:
Oblique Crunches, Situps, Tube or pully rotations
Exercises that would be considered Hip conditioning or Back Extension:
Bridging, Stability Ball Bridging or Hamstring curls, ‘Resisted Side Steps, Superman’ variations, ‘Bird-Dog’ variations, Opposite
Arm/Leg Lift
A sample workout would be as follows:
Plank for 20 seconds
Oblique Crunches for 20 seconds
Opposite Arm/Leg for 20 seconds
Repeat for 3 minutes
Another sample workout would be as follows:
V-sit x 20 seconds
Bicycle Crunches x 20 seconds
Bridging x 20 seconds
Repeat for 3 minutes
Perform a core conditioning workout 3x/week
Yours in health & fitness,
Sherri McMillan
Sherri McMillan
Sherri McMillan, holds a master's degree in exercise physiology and has been inspiring the world to adopt a fitness lifestyle for more than 33 years. She has received numerous industry awards including 2010 CanFitPro International Presenter of the Year, 2006 IDEA Fitness Director of the Year, 1998 IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year, 1998 CanFitPro Fitness Presenter of the Year and 2005/2006 ACE Fitness Educator of the Year - Runner up. She is a fitness trainer, fitness columnist for various magazines and newspapers, author of five books and manuals including "Go For Fit - the Winning Way to Fat Loss" and "Fit over Forty" and the featured presenter in various fitness DVDs. She has presented hundreds of workshops to thousands of fitness leaders throughout Canada, Australia, Mexico, Jamaica, New Zealand, Germany, England, Spain, South America, Asia and the U.S. She is the owner of Northwest Personal Training in downtown Vancouver, the founder of WHY Racing Events & WHY Community, participates in various community fundraisers and can be found running, biking, or hiking around the community. Find more information at nwpersonaltraining.com.