The Back Bone's Connected to the...

I'm back :)

We've had a lot going on behind the scenes here at 2MW which has kept me away from the blog, but now I've got a whole team of people who are going to help me stay on top of things! I'll be introducing you to them soon.

So to continue where we left off...

Today I want to talk about our core, primarily our back and our abs. Compared to our arms and our legs, this area doesn't get mentioned as much during class. But, it's something we are using CONSTANTLY. And the more that you stay aware of it, the more you can get out of it.

There are some movements we do that are meant to target the abs, such as bringing your opposite elbow and knee together, or bending to one side or the other. Any time we turn part of our body to the side without completely turning (think of the arm push we do in "Rockin Robin" as an example all class participant should know!) we're working the abs again here.

We also do a lot of stretches for our back and the rest of our core during cool-down routines, such as doing a side bend stretch or wrapping around ourselves, or the cat-cow roll down and roll up that I LOVE ending class with to work through the whole spine. Between these 3 movements, we are using all 3 planes of movement: side to side, front to back, and rotational. This area of our body will move through these 3 planes pretty often. See if you can notice it during your next class!

Now, when we're not specifically targeting the core, how is it that we're still working it? So far we've been talking about the times we are deliberately moving through the core. But, any time you are deliberately NOT moving the core while something else moves, you are engaging the core and working to strengthen it! For example, if you try an alternating high-knee march and you're not considering your core, your body will probably move slightly side to side. But as soon as your try to hold your body in place, you are engaging your core. In the seated classes this will become much more apparent when you sit straight up without leaning against the back of the chair. (Does "sit up straight and tall" sound familiar? This is why I always say it!)

On the flip side of that, we can think about moving our core even when it is not "part" of the move. If we are doing a big arm movement, we could let the arm move just from the shoulder, OR we can use our whole body to move that arm. This might allow us to move through those 3 planes of movement again, or at least 1-2 of them. Watch how your instructor moves their body during arm movements in class, and see how you can incorporate some of that extra movement.

Now, why is this important? Having a strong core is crucial for balance. Strengthen your core and improve your balance. Work on your balance and strengthen your core. They very much work hand-in-hand. Having a strong core improves your posture without you having to think about it as much. Having a flexible core allows you to reach your limbs further. Having a mobile core helps to keep pain at bay. And we don't have to do a long ab workout to make these things happen. Just try to utilize a few of these tips in each class, and feel the improvements over time.

How often do you notice your core working during class? Do you have any favorite movements that target the core? How about stretches?

Check back soon as we move into the rest of the upper body!