We’re starting to get into exercises now that focus not only on our core, but that will incorporate other major muscles groups as well. Renegade Row This exercise has a primary focus on a large majority of your back muscles but it’s also fantastic to build core strength and stability. 1. Come into a plank position with [...]

If you don’t have a medicine ball for this one, feel free to use a stability ball or even a weight. The twist alone will work your deep intrinsic core muscles, the ball is there to add more resistance and make it more challenging! Medicine Ball Twist 1. Stand in neutral and hold onto a weighted [...]

This is a great exercise to strengthen your obliques (the wall of muscles that line the side of your stomach). Standing Nut Cracker 1. Stand nice and tall with a bit of a bend in your knees – just enough to protect them. 2. Hold a challenging weight in one hand (use a water jug instead [...]

While I’m on a roll with balance exercises I thought I would throw another one your way! My grandfather lived ’till he was 100 years old. Amazing! And it wasn’t until the very end that he really needed a wheel chair or walker. I’m convinced he mastered this exercise! The Single Leg Point and Reach [...]

Single Leg Chop and Lift This is very similar to the lift and reach exercise I posted last week. Instead of lifting the weight over your head and bringing your foot behind you -you’re balancing on one leg and moving the weight with straight arms in a diagonal across your body. Once again, challenging balance [...]

Adding any sort of balance challenge to an exercise will automatically activate your core musculature. The other thing that’s great about this particular type of balance exercise is that your also strengthening the muscles in your feet, ankles and legs. Single Leg Balance Reach Stand on one leg. Keep a bit of a bend in [...]

This is another great core exercise that works your deep abdominal and stabilizing  muscles. Stability Ball Roll Out On your knees, punch the lower half of a stability ball. Allow the ball to roll out straight out in front of you until you feel your core stabilizers holding the ball in place. With your core, bring the ball [...]

Here we go! A series dedicated to building strength in your core. This series will focus not only on your external muscles but your internal muscles as well. We will build core strength as well as strengthen all those tiny little muscles that surround our spin and keep us balanced and strong. These are the [...]

We get so caught up in trying to exercise primarily to burn calories, we forget about all the other benefits that strength training has! Strengthens your heart while strengthening your muscles. Can lower your risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Helps to build bone density. (Especially important for women.) [...]

I’m about to start a series of posts on Resistance Bands. I love these things because they are cheap to buy and easy to use at home. No gym membership required! Especially during the holidays when many of us are on vacation -or like- me sleeping in our fathers basements- these are a great alternative [...]