Core strength

Get Down

There are times when being on the floor in the place to be. Today is that time.

There are many ways to build core strength. One familiar way is through sit-ups. There is a video out in the world with 50 different types of sit-ups. I’m only going to talk about one.

Having your arms move with your torso, assists with leverage and getting your body to rise. This is quite helpful. Having some lumbar support may be helpful as well. This can be done by having a rolled towel under your lower back or using something called an ABMAT which is a little pad that is certainly not necessary to have. You can have your feet anchored or unanchored. To anchor your feet, you can place them under the edge of a couch/sofa or chair. You can have a partner hold your feet, as well.

As you come up, the ideal is to “break plane” or bring your shoulders forward enough to pass your hips. This can be seen as you touch your knees, ankles, or even the floor in front of you.

A plank is another standard floor movement. While on your forearms or resting on your splayed hands that are slightly rotated outward, you lift your prone body up, held rigidly in a straight line from heels to shoulders. I find it more difficult to use my forearms, but some people swear by it. This move also entails tightening the core to hold the body rigid, thereby strengthening the core muscles.

The variation for a plank would be to not be perfectly straight. You can hike your butt up into the air a bit, if needed. This would be more of a pike or downward dog pose. It is still working your strength and your core.

Today’s workout:
3-4 sets
3-5 sit-ups
5-10 second plank hold
rest as needed

Use a real timer and don’t just try to count off those seconds in your head. Your phone’s timer will work fine.

This is a more challenging workout. That’s because there is a certain satisfaction or even joy in achieving something challenging. Joy and satisfaction aren’t just hanging around floating in the air. They come from knowing that a struggle happened and you won.

When I first started CrossFit, all the much younger people were doing so much more than me and I was sure they were not struggling as I was. They were young. They were fit. They were capable. Then … a superior athlete made it to the final playoff round at the I CAN Games. She had to complete a certain number of double unders in a row. This is a jump rope move where the rope goes under your feet twice each time you jump up. She struggled and she struggled. Whatever the number was, she couldn’t get there. She was in the finals. She was one of the best at the meet. She never did get them. Time ran out. She never gave up. She tried again and again. The struggle was more than real. I hope she was as amazed at her performance as I was. She was, in my opinion, the greatest athlete there. She never quit. I remember her all these years later. I don’t know who won the event.

As you struggle with certain moves, remember you are winning by the struggle. You are the champion of your life. You are a rock star.

Stay Balanced.

Video on Facebook

Stand Tall

One of the perils of Old Age is falling. Old people tend to fall over far more frequently and with far greater devastation than young people – at least after they have learned to walk. This falling is something to be avoided if possible. Knowing how to catch oneself in a fall is helpful and being able to get back up is wonderful. Being able to do all these things is called Functional Fitness.

Since most moves in the gym begin with “stand tall” (and in yoga – mountain pose – which is the same thing), this is where I want to start. Most of us pay no attention to how we stand.

I’m concerned with the functionality of fitness and general good (or at least better) health. After all the time I’ve spent in the gym, I’m also pleased as punch at some of the audacious things this old body can still do. But the main goal remains being able to stay healthily alive. This means I have to have control over my body.

Engaging the core muscles helps to create a balancing effect. Feet are planted firmly and spaced hip distance apart, knees over ankles and hips over knees. Knees are not locked out. The butt gets tucked under which engages all the massive gluteal or butt muscles. Lifting the chest high engages the muscles around the stomach. Having the shoulders squared with the shoulder blades back and down engages the upper back muscles. This builds your suit of armor holding you erect.

This posture is noticeable in a time of slouching – which is human history. We all tend to slouch. It’s easier than actually holding yourself upright. So we sag. But eventually, it becomes all we can do if we don’t work at building, through daily routines and practices, the essential suit of armor. When you stumble, if your muscles are used to firing, they will be what catches you before you hit the ground. This is better than falling and catching yourself with your hands and breaking a wrist – which is preferable to face-planting.

Another benefit of standing tall is that your lungs are opened up. Your diaphragm is now able to move more freely and completely. Give it a try right now. Hunch over and take a deep breath. Now stand or sit tall and take a deep breath. There is a difference. The alveoli are found at the ends of all the branching throughout the space in the lungs. That is where air exchange takes place. By standing (or sitting) tall, you are opening up or decompressing the basilar alveoli. Breathing moves more air when you stand or sit tall.

Most, if not all, exercises require some core muscle engagement. Standing tall helps you get reacquainted with those muscles. Standing tall is a core (pun intended) part of a healthy movement plan. Take some time and make some effort to practice this standing technique. It is the primary part of functional movement, a goal I hope you value as much as I do.

Stay balanced.

Video link on Facebook.