Kicking Core Work and Saturfarts

Hope you are having a happy Saturday so far! For those people who are chained to a school schedule I know some are out for the year (my little sis has already dived headlong into summer break!), some are still stuck counting the days, but either way I think this should be a loooong weekend.

At any rate, after doing my little core routine today it got me to thinking. I’ll get asked every now and again for suggestions on exercises. Lots of time it’s about abs (who doesn’t want a nice six pack?) but making sure to hit the whole core is critical. Not only the abs, but the obliques, lower abs, back, glutes, everything baby! 🙂

This isn’t only for appearances sake either, but a stronger core will help you improve no matter what your sport of choice. For runners, cuz let’s face it that is the best sport, you want a stable core because that will help you keep good form as you tire. We’ve all seen those hunchbacks making their way to the finishline. If they were to stay erect they’d be more efficient and get to that finish faster, then be able to collapse and regroup…hehe.



All joking aside, I still do this core routine that I learned WAY back when I first moved to Oregon, gosh so that must have been at the end of 2004. Yikes! But it kicked my butt than and I still love it to this day because it’s quick but effective. I call it Pedestal, but I’ve see similar type forms of it called plenty other things. But it’s based around the plank pose…it’s just a souped up plank. 😉



Pedestal

• Start balancing on your forearms and toes, holding a plank position. Keep your body in a straight line, that means suck in that tummy and make sure that booty isn’t sticking up in the air. Lift your left leg up and down 15 times and repeat with the right leg 15 times.
• Now flip over so you’re balancing on your heels and forearms facing skyward. Again work to keep your body in a line. Lift your left leg 15 times, then your right 15 times.
• Now turn to the right and balance on your right forearm and the side of your right foot. Stack your hips so your left leg is resting on top of the right, keep everything tight and sucked in, don’t let your hips sag to the floor. Now lift your left leg up and down 15 times.
• Turn to face the to the left and then lift your right leg up and down 15 times.

So it’s a set of four poses and I like to do three sets of 15 leg lifts. For the middle set I mix it up and balance on my hands with my arms straight instead of resting on my forearms. It makes your center of balance a little different.

Anyways, it takes less than 10 minutes and you can do it after your run/workout when you’re already loose. Also nice and sweaty. 🙂

So for my Saturday, got in my easy run, did me my core, and since it looks like the sun has decided to grace me with its presence I’m thinking I might go out and enjoy the day. Or, I might just get sucked into the internet vortex, waste far too much time and then not realize that it’s suddenly ark outside. Haha. Hope you’re all having a great one!

1) Do you do core work?

2) Favorite core exercises?

3) Have you ever been in a tornado?

Totally random, but because the weather conditions seem to get crazier and crazier, and I hear about more and more poor people getting hit with natural disasters and extreme weather conditions it got me thinking about it. Ever since I saw Twister back in the day, I was obsessed with that movie and watched it until my VHS nearly broke, tornadoes have petrified me.