Core

Hunting for Balance

Today we are working with a foundational exercise that builds balance, core strength, spinal stability, and coordination. It’s called Bird Dog because we supposed look like a hunting dog pointing at some game.

We start on our hands and knees in a tabletop position. The hands are directly under the shoulders and the knees are directly under the hips. The trick here is to tighten your core by pulling your belly button towards your spine. You then slowly extend your right arm straight out in front of you while extending your left leg straight back. In this position you ideally are aiming for a straight line from fingertips to toes.

Try nit to twirl your body but keep your shoulders and hips square. Avoid lifting your leg too high as this may cause back pain. Keep the movement slow and steady. This isn’t a race and controlled movements are the goal.

Now bring your arm and leg back to the tabletop position and repeat on the other side.

This can be done at your kitchen counter top if getting onto and off the floor isn’t available right now. Stand at the counter with both hand lightly resting on the top. Raise the right foot and left arm at the same time, return to the starting point and then do the other side.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
2-3x
accumulate 20 seconds standing with right foot in front
accumulate 20 seconds standing with left foot in front

CIRCUIT

3-4x
4-5 knee taps/leg for a count of 8-10
4-5 bird dog (right + left = 1 rep) for a count of 8-10
rest as needed

Part of overall fitness is challenging your brain. Because this uses opposing sides of the body, it takes some concentration to make it work. If you raise both your right arm and leg, you will find yourself quite off balance, so it is self correcting. Have fun with the movement.

Stay balanced.
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Sit Down

One of the markers for fitness is being able to get out of a chair without using your arms. This takes leg strength and control to rise to a full standing position.

We know we are using our glutes or butt muscles. Of course, we even slightly tighten that up before we start. But we are also engaging the upper leg muscles, both the hamstrings (back of leg) and quads or quadriceps (front of leg). The calves are engaged for pushing you up and stabilizing your ankles. And then – of course – as always – the core.

We are going to practice this without use of our arms. If you are using your arms to push yourself up off the seat, you are also engaging your arms and shoulders to help you gain momentum.

In order to minimize the use of arms for this exercise, put your right hand on your left shoulder and your left hand on your right shoulder. This negates their use.

Come slightly forward on your seat. Lean slightly forward, but do not exaggerate this. You aren’t trying to bend down. Plant your feet solidly on the floor in front of you about hip distance or a little farther apart. As you push off the seat and stand, your butt and legs are doing the heavy work. As you come to a more fully upright position, your core kicks and stabilizes the movement. And then, you are standing tall.

If you are pushing off from the arms of your chair or a table, come up and stand tall.

This is different than a squat where you carry the momentum from the up to the down and from the down to the up. By sitting completely in the chair, there is no stored potential energy ready to fire. You are going from resting to engaging all these different muscle groups in succession and unison. In some ways it is easier than the constant up and down of squats, and in other ways it is more difficult. Be patient with the process.

Today’s workout:
WARM UP
1-2 times
march in place for 15-20 seconds

CIRCUIT
2-3 times
3-5 sit to stand, sitting down for at least 2 seconds before rising
4-6 DB curls with or without weights (both arms at the same time)
rest as needed

Practicing with some activities of daily living can let you see where you might want to build in something like micro workouts throughout your day. Perhaps you may choose to practice standing without using your arms each time you get out of a chair, but beware if you have a nice upholstered one because those are tricky. Maybe you want to practice this each time you get off the toilet so you don’t have to touch anything in a public bathroom. Make a game of this and know that this particular movement can really be important, say if you have to stand up with a cup of coffee in one hand and lovely plate of pie (cookies, cake) in the other.

Stay balanced
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