Standing Strong

When things go wrong and everything you touch seems to go bad, as one decision after another just back fires on you, it is time to make a change. Like any athlete that needs to push the envelope to improve we need to change was has become a habit. Bad luck starts and ends with attitude even if it is only a change in your attitude to your bad luck you will have made a change.

The first step is to find your centre or 'chi' as the Japanese call it. That is where your spirit sits and it is the fulcrum in any movement that you perform. Holding your back straight and your knees bent looking straight ahead you will find your 'Chi' after that concentrate on your breathing and start having a conversation with your body. Tensing and relaxing your various muscle groups you can access your 'Chi' by focusing the source of the strength that allows you to tense and relax your muscle groups the way you are doing is because of your centre your 'Chi' which is just below your belly button. In Pilates they use a movement o help increase this core strength or Chi.

Go Vertical with these core exercises.

A strong and stable core is the best foundation for improved strength, endurance, balance and agility. No matter what type of class you teach, you’ll enhance the experience by helping students engage their cores more effectively. These simple exercises can be used in any type of class because they’re performed while standing and do not require equipment. Try them in your warm-up to activate core muscles for a more effective workout, or use them in your cool-down to practice core control. You can even add resistance and make them part of a core-strengthening class!

Standing Hundred

Position. While standing in neutral-spine position (maintaining lumbar and thoracic curves), lift your left foot slightly off the floor. Arms are at sides with palms facing backward.

Movement. Engage deep abdominal and pelvic-floor muscles to maintain neutral spine, and begin pumping arms quickly forward and back. They should travel just barely in front of and behind hips. Switch sides.

Purpose. The more stable your core is, the faster you will be able to move your arms. This exercise will tell you immediately which of your students have good core control!

Side Hinge Position. Stand on right foot and abduct left leg slightly. Extend right arm overhead to form a line between left foot and right hand. Lean right as far as you can while maintaining form and balance.

Movement. Reach left hand up to touch right hand, and return left hand to hip. Repeat until you feel fatigue in left side of back (or “waist”). Add medicine ball in right hand for more advanced training. Switch sides.

Purpose. This will effectively activate and strengthen the quadratus lumborum muscle, responsible for lateral flexion, as well as the hip stabilizers on the standing leg.

Hip Dip Position. Stand on right foot, neutral spine, hands on hips.

Movement. Dip left hip down and back up to neutral without bending at the knee or hip. This is a small movement, but you’ll feel it in your support leg after a few repetitions. Switch sides.

Purpose. Your deep hip stabilizers will love you for this one! This move works a highly overlooked area that, when strengthened, improves the performance of daily activities and of all leg-strengthening exercises.