What is core strength?
Core strength relates to the strength of the muscles around your torso. These include muclses in your back and shoulders and even your hips.
Core strength can improve your posture, enurance and help protect you from injuries.
The plank
The classic core strength exercise. The secret is ensure you keep good form throughout the duration of the exercise. Get in to a push-up position with your arms bent at 90 degrees with your forearms on the floor. Keep you body completely straight. Hold for as long as possible and repeat three times.
The press-up
Usually associatied with upper body stregth the press-up also requires core strength to keep the body straight through both the up and dowen motion of the exdercise.
Abdominal curnch
Another classic exercise for core strength. Lie on you back with you legs bent at 90 degrees and you feet flat against a wall. Keeping your abdominals tight rasie your head and shoulders of the floor. Crossing your arms against your chest will prevent neck strain. Hold for three deep breadths. Return to the strat position and repeat.
Side balance crunch
Begin by holding your self up with your right arm straight and on your right knee. Hold your left arm straight up in the air and point your left leg out so it forms a straight line with your body. Pull your left knee and your left elbow in towards your body. Straighten arm and leg and repeat 10 times. Switch sides and repeat another 10 times.
Hollow body hold
A low energy way to build your core strength. If you are new to this start by lying on your back with your arms by the side. Raise your legs into a bent position and point your toes. Lift you shoulders slightly off the ground by pulling in your abdominal muscles, do not curve your spine. Keep your parallel but slightly off the ground. Hold for as long as possible and repeat three times. As you start to increase the time you hold this for, you can make the exercise more difficult by holding your arms out straight and overhead.