At one point, you might have seen exercise mainly as a way to change how your body looks. But as you get older, you start to realize how transformative it can be for future-proofing your body, improving your everyday movement, and for reducing the risk of injury, aches and pains.
According to personal trainer and Pilates instructor Eloise Skinner, there’s one area you should pay some extra attention to if you’re training for longevity—your core.
The core comprises all of the muscles around your stomach and lower back, including the abdominals, obliques and pelvis. “Core strength is really important as we get older, for both men and women,” Skinner tells Fit&Well.
“When you train your body to activate those deep core muscles, it can be really protective,” says Skinner.
“If you slip or trip, your body can use the core to stabilize and protect you. If your body isn’t used to using core strength to take the force of a movement, it will usually place that force somewhere else, like your lower back or another joint,” Skinner says, adding this could easily lead to injury.
A stronger core also makes daily life easier. “Getting up from a chair, standing up from the floor, picking up your grandchildren—all those depend on the strength and alignment of your body, so the core is really, really important,” says Skinner.
Here are Skinner’s three go-to moves to build core strength and stability.
1. Roll-down
This is a Pilates move that many people see as a stretch, but it’s also a fantastic way to switch on your core muscles. “It’s really good for mobility, flexibility, breath integration as well as core engagement, alignment and focus,” says Skinner.
Reps: 3
- Stand with your feet hip-distance apart.
- Tuck your ribcage in and squeeze your glutes slightly to engage your core.
- Slowly tuck your chin toward your chest and lower your head, moving from the top of the spine down, vertebrae by vertebrae, with your arms hanging loosely by your body.
- Bend your knees as you get closer to the floor.
- Once your hands touch the floor, slowly roll back up to the start.
2. Bird dog
This is a popular, full-body Pilates move, but Skinner says it’s a great way to learn how to engage your core.
“It’s really good for balance, proprioception [your sense of where your body is] and spatial awareness,” she says, explaining that these skills are particularly useful as we get older. “Having a good sense of how your body moves through space can help to avoid injuries.”
Reps: 3-5 each side
- Start on your hands and knees, with your knees directly below your hips and your hands directly below your shoulders.
- Tuck your pelvis in to engage your core.
- Extend one arm forward to shoulder height and the opposite leg back.
- Pause for a second, keeping the rest of your body stable.
- Slowly bring your arm and leg under your torso, gently rounding your spine as you do.
- Complete the repetitions on one side then repeat on the other.
3. Forearm plank
The plank is a fundamental core exercise—it recruits a variety of muscles and tests your stability. “It gets your back in good alignment, works the core, glutes and hamstrings, as well as muscles in your arms,” says Skinner.
She recommends a forearm plank over a full plank for beginners. “A forearm plank is a little bit more gentle on the wrists,” she says.
Time: 20sec
- From kneeling, place your forearms on the floor, with your forearms and elbows underneath your shoulders, palms facing down.
- Tuck your toes, engage your core and lift your knees off the floor so your body is raised and in a straight line from head to heels.
- Hold for 20 seconds to start, aiming to gradually increase how long you can hold it for as you get stronger.
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