How to Strengthen Your Core

The core muscles are your abdominal, lower back and pelvic muscles, these muscles help you maintain stability and posture when doing any kind of physical activity. It is important for your well being that you know how to strengthen your core muscles. The core muscles support your spine, and if you are suffering from any back aches it's probably because of weak core muscles. Some of the core muscles are transverse abdominis, erector spinae, obliques, rectus abdominis and the diaphragm. All the movements that we make are dependent on the core muscles. Many athletes undergo rigorous core strengthening workouts to help them perform better in competitions.

Core Strengthening Exercises

Now that we know the importance of core muscles, let us take a peek at some of the best core exercises. If you don't know how to strengthen your core, following a abs routine will help you target and strengthen the core muscles. Creating a schedule, and following, is the key to any workout routine, so pre-decide the days of the week that you will do core strengthening exercises. It is suggested that you do it at least two times a week.

Crunches
People cringe and whine at the mere mention of crunches, but it is one of the best core exercises at home to build strength. There are different types of crunches which you could do the strengthen your core muscles.

• Standard Crunch: Lie down on your back and fold your legs at the knee, keep your feet close to each other. Fold your hands in such a way that your palms support your head. Now raise your body in such a way that your chest touches your thighs. To increase the difficulty level you could do this on an incline bench, ask your trainer or gym partner to sit on your legs when you do it on an incline bench.
• Reverse Crunches: You could also include reverse crunches in your strength training routine, do 2-3 sets of 15-20 repetitions. Lie down on your back, and raise your legs, so that you form a 90 degree angle, now pull your thighs towards your chest. If you find it difficult at first keep your hands next to your hips for stability and support. Abdominal exercises are the best way to strengthen your core muscles.
• Oblique Crunches: Lie down sideways with your knees folded to form a 45 degree angle, both legs should be touching each other. Keep one hand on your chest and the other behind your head, with the elbow pointing towards the ceiling. Now lift your body up trying to touch your legs with the elbow, you should feel your ribs pressing into your body as you go up. Repeat the same motion on the other side, do 15-20 repetitions and 2-3 sets.

Hip Lifts
If you are wondering how to strengthen your core at home, you could do hip lifts along with crunches from the comfort of your home. Lie on your back and raise your legs without bending your knees, so that your feet point to the ceiling. Keep your hands next to your hips and slowly raise your hip, make sure your legs don't fall towards your chest. It is important that you maintain your form and posture throughout the exercise.

Superman's
One of the fun core exercises for women, sleep on your stomach with your arm extended in front of you. Now raise your left arm and right leg extend, them in such a way that you feel a strain in your abdominal muscles. Repeat the same movement with your right arm and left leg, when you go up try and hold the position for a slow three count.

Heel Touch
If you want to know how to strengthen your core muscles at home try the heel touch. A core exercise for men which will strengthen the oblique muscles, the heel touch is also a good way to improve stability. Bend you knees and lie down on your back, lift your shoulder blades off the ground and touch your left leg heel with your left arm. Repeat the motion with your other arm, do 20-30 repetitions and 3-4 sets.

Now that you know how to strengthen your core, get a little discipline in your routine, and regularly do these exercises. You could also include push ups and bicycle crunches in your routine to strengthen your core.

How to Strengthen Your Core

The core muscles are your abdominal, lower back and pelvic muscles, these muscles help you maintain stability and posture when doing any kind of physical activity. It is important for your well being that you know how to strengthen your core muscles. The core muscles support your spine, and if you are suffering from any back aches it's probably because of weak core muscles. Some of the core muscles are transverse abdominis, erector spinae, obliques, rectus abdominis and the diaphragm. All the movements that we make are dependent on the core muscles. Many athletes undergo rigorous core strengthening workouts to help them perform better in competitions.

Core Strengthening Exercises

Now that we know the importance of core muscles, let us take a peek at some of the best core exercises. If you don't know how to strengthen your core, following a abs routine will help you target and strengthen the core muscles. Creating a schedule, and following, is the key to any workout routine, so pre-decide the days of the week that you will do core strengthening exercises. It is suggested that you do it at least two times a week.

Crunches
People cringe and whine at the mere mention of crunches, but it is one of the best core exercises at home to build strength. There are different types of crunches which you could do the strengthen your core muscles.

• Standard Crunch: Lie down on your back and fold your legs at the knee, keep your feet close to each other. Fold your hands in such a way that your palms support your head. Now raise your body in such a way that your chest touches your thighs. To increase the difficulty level you could do this on an incline bench, ask your trainer or gym partner to sit on your legs when you do it on an incline bench.
• Reverse Crunches: You could also include reverse crunches in your strength training routine, do 2-3 sets of 15-20 repetitions. Lie down on your back, and raise your legs, so that you form a 90 degree angle, now pull your thighs towards your chest. If you find it difficult at first keep your hands next to your hips for stability and support. Abdominal exercises are the best way to strengthen your core muscles.
• Oblique Crunches: Lie down sideways with your knees folded to form a 45 degree angle, both legs should be touching each other. Keep one hand on your chest and the other behind your head, with the elbow pointing towards the ceiling. Now lift your body up trying to touch your legs with the elbow, you should feel your ribs pressing into your body as you go up. Repeat the same motion on the other side, do 15-20 repetitions and 2-3 sets.

Hip Lifts
If you are wondering how to strengthen your core at home, you could do hip lifts along with crunches from the comfort of your home. Lie on your back and raise your legs without bending your knees, so that your feet point to the ceiling. Keep your hands next to your hips and slowly raise your hip, make sure your legs don't fall towards your chest. It is important that you maintain your form and posture throughout the exercise.

Superman's
One of the fun core exercises for women, sleep on your stomach with your arm extended in front of you. Now raise your left arm and right leg extend, them in such a way that you feel a strain in your abdominal muscles. Repeat the same movement with your right arm and left leg, when you go up try and hold the position for a slow three count.

Heel Touch
If you want to know how to strengthen your core muscles at home try the heel touch. A core exercise for men which will strengthen the oblique muscles, the heel touch is also a good way to improve stability. Bend you knees and lie down on your back, lift your shoulder blades off the ground and touch your left leg heel with your left arm. Repeat the motion with your other arm, do 20-30 repetitions and 3-4 sets.

Now that you know how to strengthen your core, get a little discipline in your routine, and regularly do these exercises. You could also include push ups and bicycle crunches in your routine to strengthen your core.

Core Exercises with Medicine Ball

Strong bodies make for strong minds. I believe in that statement all the way through. If you don't have a strong, healthy body and are therefore plagued with diseases and ailments, how can you think right and make proper judgments and reach good decisions? That's why, keeping our bodies fit is imperative. And although we need to focus on all parts of the body, carrying forth certain exercise types that build our core strength is really really important. The core muscles do not merely include the abdominal muscles as is usually perceived, but also include the spine and the pelvis. It is on these muscles that the entire body's strength and functioning depends because they are the base and therefore core muscles. While there are several strength training exercise forms that are undertaken to strengthen the core muscles, it has been found that a medicine ball does wonders for this cause. In the following article we shall be focusing on some core exercises with medicine ball and taking you through some key exercises of several muscle groups that make up the core muscles.

Ab Exercises with Medicine Ball

Doing abdominal exercises is a key part of the core exercises with medicine ball. Here are a few examples of these exercises that you can start out on.

Russian Twist

1. Sit on the ground and bend your knees for this workout. Make sure that the feet are flat on the ground.
2. Now take the medicine ball into your hands and hold your hands in front of the body parallel to the ground.
3. Now recline onto your back at a 45 degree angle and hold the position.
4. Twist to the right with the ball and then to the left.
5. You'll feel a strong pull at your abdominal muscles. Make it more intense by leaning further back and lifting up your legs 1-2 inches off the ground.
6. Do about 10 sets of this.

Leg Raises

1. Lie flat onto the ground on your back.
2. Now take a very light medicine ball, because this exercise is a little tough to pull off.
3. Take the medicine ball and hold it in your hands. Stretch out your legs and hands straight out.
4. Now with a firm grip on the ball, crunch up till your hands touch your feet.
5. Transfer the ball in between your legs and hold firmly.
6. Go back to the starting position with the legs and hands stretched out.
7. At the next crunch transfer the ball back into the hands. And then the feet.
8. Repeat in sets of 10.
9. This works very well with your abs and strengthens them like not many other exercises. Just make sure that you start out with a light ball and learn the technique before increasing the difficulty level.

Back Exercises with Medicine Ball

Some of the most effective core exercises with medicine ball are the ones that work on strengthening the back. Here are examples of these back exercise types.

Back Stretch

1. You'll need a stability exercise ball for this one. There are several exercise ball workouts that focus on building core strength.
2. Lay down on the stability ball and position it under your upper back.
3. The feet must be firmly flat on the ground.
4. Now take the medicine ball into your hands and extend your arms over your head.
5. Make sure that the arms are locked.
6. Next take the ball over your head to the ground, till you get a stretch in your shoulder and side trunk.
7. Stay in this position for about 8-10 seconds and return to the over-the-head original position.

Figure Eight

1. Stand with your feet apart at shoulder width and hold the medicine ball in your hands.
2. Now extend your arms and hold the ball above your right shoulder.
3. Then in one continuous motion do the following - Take the ball from the right shoulder to the left foot in one swift motion (bend at the back) and then take the ball to the right foot and come up taking the ball to the left side and ending at the left shoulder.
4. Do this on the other side as well. That is starting at the left shoulder and reversing the action.
5. Repeat 10 times on both sides.
6. This is one of the most effective shoulder exercises with medicine ball as well.

There you go. Try out some of these core exercises with medicine ball and you'll notice a change in your core muscles very soon. All the best!

Core Exercises with Medicine Ball

Strong bodies make for strong minds. I believe in that statement all the way through. If you don't have a strong, healthy body and are therefore plagued with diseases and ailments, how can you think right and make proper judgments and reach good decisions? That's why, keeping our bodies fit is imperative. And although we need to focus on all parts of the body, carrying forth certain exercise types that build our core strength is really really important. The core muscles do not merely include the abdominal muscles as is usually perceived, but also include the spine and the pelvis. It is on these muscles that the entire body's strength and functioning depends because they are the base and therefore core muscles. While there are several strength training exercise forms that are undertaken to strengthen the core muscles, it has been found that a medicine ball does wonders for this cause. In the following article we shall be focusing on some core exercises with medicine ball and taking you through some key exercises of several muscle groups that make up the core muscles.

Ab Exercises with Medicine Ball

Doing abdominal exercises is a key part of the core exercises with medicine ball. Here are a few examples of these exercises that you can start out on.

Russian Twist

1. Sit on the ground and bend your knees for this workout. Make sure that the feet are flat on the ground.
2. Now take the medicine ball into your hands and hold your hands in front of the body parallel to the ground.
3. Now recline onto your back at a 45 degree angle and hold the position.
4. Twist to the right with the ball and then to the left.
5. You'll feel a strong pull at your abdominal muscles. Make it more intense by leaning further back and lifting up your legs 1-2 inches off the ground.
6. Do about 10 sets of this.

Leg Raises

1. Lie flat onto the ground on your back.
2. Now take a very light medicine ball, because this exercise is a little tough to pull off.
3. Take the medicine ball and hold it in your hands. Stretch out your legs and hands straight out.
4. Now with a firm grip on the ball, crunch up till your hands touch your feet.
5. Transfer the ball in between your legs and hold firmly.
6. Go back to the starting position with the legs and hands stretched out.
7. At the next crunch transfer the ball back into the hands. And then the feet.
8. Repeat in sets of 10.
9. This works very well with your abs and strengthens them like not many other exercises. Just make sure that you start out with a light ball and learn the technique before increasing the difficulty level.

Back Exercises with Medicine Ball

Some of the most effective core exercises with medicine ball are the ones that work on strengthening the back. Here are examples of these back exercise types.

Back Stretch

1. You'll need a stability exercise ball for this one. There are several exercise ball workouts that focus on building core strength.
2. Lay down on the stability ball and position it under your upper back.
3. The feet must be firmly flat on the ground.
4. Now take the medicine ball into your hands and extend your arms over your head.
5. Make sure that the arms are locked.
6. Next take the ball over your head to the ground, till you get a stretch in your shoulder and side trunk.
7. Stay in this position for about 8-10 seconds and return to the over-the-head original position.

Figure Eight

1. Stand with your feet apart at shoulder width and hold the medicine ball in your hands.
2. Now extend your arms and hold the ball above your right shoulder.
3. Then in one continuous motion do the following - Take the ball from the right shoulder to the left foot in one swift motion (bend at the back) and then take the ball to the right foot and come up taking the ball to the left side and ending at the left shoulder.
4. Do this on the other side as well. That is starting at the left shoulder and reversing the action.
5. Repeat 10 times on both sides.
6. This is one of the most effective shoulder exercises with medicine ball as well.

There you go. Try out some of these core exercises with medicine ball and you'll notice a change in your core muscles very soon. All the best!