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How To Strengthen Core Muscles Using Pilates At Home  

June 26, 2011 By

Learn how to do a bridge exercise as part of a series of core strengthening exercises using a physio ball in this free how-to video lesson on physio ball core exercise. Expert: Monica Paradise Bio: Monica Paradise works at Industrial Hand and Physical Therapy in Phoenix, Arizona. She graduated from Northern Arizona University with a degree in exercise science. Filmmaker: Eric Johnston

Pilates core exercises are easy at home

Did you realise as the older you get, deposits of calcium in the joints will slowly develop which will have the effect of reducing the movement of the muscles and joints? And once this process has taken place it cannot be reversed? Yet a secret, effective method to ensure that you don’t succumb to this is to undertake regular exercise that involves stretching the body’s core muscles. So what are they and how will this benefit you?

To start with, you require to be aware of the exact location of the muscles. Just remember the areas around the abdominals, including the muscles responsible for the rotation of the body’s “trunk”, plus the lower back, and the three large skeletal muscles that form the buttock and move the thighs. It is important to appreciate that these key areas of the body are the ones responsible for the quality of posture that a person has. It is easy to appreciate that if these muscle areas are looked after, then this will be reflected in the attributes of good posture, body flexibility and strength.

By adopting Pilates as part of your exercise routine the posture habits you have developed over an extended period of time will be challenged and a new, correct form of posture will soon develop. You will soon notice that this new form of posture will change from being a conscious exercise and action to unconscious and become the way that you will naturally walk and run, sit, and stand. Where core muscles are strengthened, the body’s posture will be greatly improved and the likelihood of suffering from back pain will be reduced. And this is the great secret benefit of adopting Pilates as part of your exercise routine. The great benefit is that you can assist in maintaining a healthy physical body by ensuring an improvement to your posture.

By undertaking Pilates techniques to strengthen core muscles will not only assist in improving your posture but will also prevent the occurrence of low back pain as a result of muscular problems. The easy process of exercising the body’s core muscles will have the effect of not only toning them but also greatly reducing back muscle problems. When a Pilates at home exercise routine is begun, you will begin to feel the benefits from a reduction in muscle stiffness plus a greater flexibility of the body. And being more flexible, you will be able to achieve so much more both in leisure and sporting pursuits.

For the vast majority of people undertaking Pilates at home, most start to benefit and see encouraging improvements to their strength, posture, flexibility and reduction in stiffness quite quickly. They will notice changes in the method of how they sit down or stand, move and even how they breathe. Yet this is achieved not through rigorous exercise, but from easy to learn techniques that anyone can undertake at their own pace in order to achieve subtle, yet beneficial changes for the good of their health and enjoyment of life.

About the Author

Pilates is one of the most sought after exercise methods to solve ailments such as back pain, poor posture and muscular problems. It is not strenuous to undertake a Pilates workout and anyone of any age can benefit. You don’t even have to attend a class. You can now discover easy learn how to do Pilates at home workouts and start getting the body form you crave at http://www.pilatesdvd.info

 

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Exercising at Home: Using your Body Weight   

June 26, 2011 By

Many people exercise at home without professional assistance, and this is often because a subscription to the gym is too expensive. Others prefer the privacy of exercising in their own home. With discipline and patience, at home exercises can be very successful.

When you’re exercising at home, you don’t have to spend money on expensive equipment. There are many exercises that use your body weight, and if you start with small steps, you will develop a healthier body With a little effort in the home, you can effectively do something for your health. And the excuse that you don’t have time to go to the gym no longer applies!

Bodyweight exercises are easy at home

The best exercise for the entire body and muscles is the push-up. For the best results, it must be performed correctly with a straight back. Start by using your knees, before progressing to pushups from the toes. Your starting position should be the ground, so the first thing you do so rise from the floor. Slowly and smoothly drop to the ground, and then push up again using your body weight. Many professionals perform pushups on the fists rather than the hands as the exercise is more effective.

The most effective exercises for the gluteus and thigh muscles are the well-known knee bends. Bend your knees and go into a crouch until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Don’t go any lower than this to avoid damage to your knees. You can also consider wearing a backpack with some weight in it – a book is always handy. Keep your arms outstretched, your body firm and your legs shoulder wide. Perform the exercise slowly and evenly.

You can use your body weight to increase your back muscles. Lie on the ground and place your feet under the sofa (or similar piece of stable furniture). Place your hands behind your head, with your elbow facing outwards. Slowly lift your body up and down.

The abdominal muscles don’t get missed either. Lie on your back with your feet under the sofa. Place your arms on your chest, and bend your knees. Slowly lift your body up and down to work the abdominals.

Jumping rope might be seen as a children’s activity, but it’s a great way to workout inside or outside the home. Gradually increase the length of time you perform this exercise to maintain a healthy heart and overall body fitness.

You don’t need to purchase an expensive step machine to complete step aerobics. Use a stable crate or similar piece of equipment you have around the house. Step aerobics are great for the legs and stomach. As you progress with this exercise, you can increase the height of the crate you use.

Remember also that walking is also one of the best exercises you can complete for overall body health.

The desire to build your muscles, increase overall body toning and have an athletic body is probably in all of us. With a little effort in the home, you can effectively do something for your health.

About the Author

Many people exercise at home without professional assistance, and this is often because a subscription to the gym is too expensive. Others prefer the privacy of exercising in their own home. With discipline and patience, at home exercises can be very successful.

 

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Using Core Stability Exercises to Increase Core Stabilization

June 25, 2011 By

Core Training is a very popular philosophy sweeping over fitness programs.  At a quick glance core training appears to be simply abdominal exercises and lower back exercises, but core training is so much more.  Core training is all about good alignment, joint stability, and efficient movement, and your core includes your entire spine, shoulder girdle, and hip girdle.

 

When you perform core exercises you can focus on 3 things: stability, strength, or power.  Although stability, strength, and power are all related you can emphasize a certain benefit by choosing specific exercises and performing them in a specific way.  Stability refers to the ability of your muscles to maintain a joint’s position, posture, and alignment.  Strength refers to the ability of your muscles to move a certain amount of resistance through the full range of motion.  And power refers to the ability of your muscles to move your body with speed.

 

In this article, I want to focus on developing core stability.  One possible cause of lower back pain is a lack of stability in the pelvis and lower back.  When your back is unstable, there is more pressure on the joints of your back.  In addition, when your back is unstable your sports performance is decreased.  So, developing core stability is important for everyone from people with desk jobs to elite athletes.

 

Let me ask you a question that speaks to the importance of core stability.  Is it easier to run on sand or grass?  Most people will say that it is easier to run on grass.  Since the grass is more stable than the sand it’s easier for your muscles to push you forward as you run.  Because the sand in unstable, your muscles have a harder time pushing your forward as you run.

 

You should think of your spine in the same way that you think about your running surface.  When your spine is stable, your muscles work more efficiently.  When your muscles work more efficiently, you have a lower risk of injury and perform at a higher level.

 

Well, you may be asking which type of exercises is best for core stabilization.  Some of the best core exercises for stabilization are isometric exercises.  Isometric simply means same length or no movement, so during isometric exercises the position of your spine does not change.  Two of the first core stabilization exercises that I teach my clients are the drawing in maneuver and the plank.

 

The drawing in maneuver is the best exercise for the transversus abdominus.  In movement studies, physiotherapists found that the transversus abdominus is the first abdominal muscle to fire when you move your arms are legs.  They also found that it lags behind in people with lower back pain.  To re-educate your transverse abdominus (your natural girdle) you must practice pulling your belly button in towards your spine.

 

You can practice the drawing in maneuver from many positions, but the key is to keep your spine in a neutral or balanced position when you pull in.  You can perform the drawing in maneuver while lying on your back, so gravity can assist you.  Then, you can progress to seated or standing where gravity is more neutral, and the most challenging position is lying face down or on your hands and knees where gravity pulls down against you.  No matter which position you choose, pull in your belly button and hold for 5-10 seconds and repeat for 10 repetitions.  When personal trainers or physical therapists say pull in your abs, they are referring to the drawing in maneuver.

 

Another great core exercise for stabilization is the plank.  The plank is a popular yoga pose that has crossed over into many other areas of fitness.  It involves balancing face down on your elbows and your toes.  There are two main keys when performing the plank.  First, you should keep good alignment through your spine and entire body.  And, second, you should pull in your belly button and use the drawing in maneuver throughout the entire set.

 

Attempt to hold the plank for 10 seconds to 60 seconds.  Repeat the exercise 2-3 times.  If you shake when you first try the plank, don’t worry about it.  As your coordination and strength improve you will shake less.  Also, if the full plank from your toes and elbows is too challenging, you can build up your strength using the half plank which is done from the knees and the elbows.

 

Once you have increased your core stabilization, move on to focus more on core strength.  Core strength is best improved by using exercises that move your spine through a large range of motion against resistance, but that is a topic for another article.

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Using Core Workouts to Tone and Shape Your Body

June 24, 2011 By

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Have you ever found yourself committed to a routine, and things go great in the beginning but then your body stops responding as it did in the beginning? This is your body hitting its plateau. This happens with any workout.4883555197 4de79587ce Using Core Workouts to Tone and Shape Your Body

Many women wonder why they don’t see the results they want.

To see the changes you need to create a new stimulus to your muscles, can be done in several ways. First, it will look at a weight that you are using. If weight is not challenging enough when you lift then add weights.

Many women are afraid to lift weights because the think they will bulk up, but in reality this won’t happen, lifting weights is the only thing that will help you tone and stay fit. rule of thumb is to make the final reps (a number which you do) challenging.

Women ask how many repetitions should I do? Well, if you are working on building lean muscle then move heavy weight with less Reps. it can be anywhere between 4-8 Reps. If you are trying to build more stamina, then use lighter weights and do 10-15 reps.

Adding time to your program, can improve your results. If your weight training sessions last 30 minutes, then go up to 45 minutes .This will burn more calories and body fat. this small trick does not only impose the body to burn more fat, but it can also help you build endurance.

Boot camp style practice includes setting up different stations and moving quickly from one to station to another. Jump rope for 5 minutes move to step ups, then push-ups, and from there to another station for 30-60 seconds and repeat. you can add a variety of exercises to make it fun, challenging, and of course to burn fat.

When you do a variety of different exercises, you can find your body getting leaner and will have more fun with your workouts.

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