Power Walking: Week 5 - Core exercises

For week 5 we will work on following exercises:

1. Hundreds

Lie on your back with your knees in the air, directly above your hips, making a 90 degree angle with your lower leg. Keep your arms by your sides.

Contract your abdominal muscles to lift your shoulders off the floor. In this position beat your hands up and down slowly breathing in and out for a count of ten. Repeat until you get the hundred :-).

If you feel any strain in the neck, place one hand behind your head to support it and then alternate arms until you've finished.

Power Walking: Hundreds

2. Scissors

Lie on your back with both legs raised, toes pointing to the ceiling and knees slightly bent. Contract the abdominals.

Slowly lower your left leg down towards the floor. As your left leg reaches the floor, start lowering the right leg, while slowly raise the left leg.

Power Walking: Scissors

3. Side leg lifts

Lie on your right side with your legs extended. Rest your left hand on the floor in front of you and support the side of your head with your right hand.

Contract your abdominals.

Raise your left leg towards the ceiling as far as is comfortable. Hold briefly, then slowly release.

Perform 6-8 repetitions and repeat on the other side.

Power Walking: Side leg lifts

4. Dog

Start on all fours with hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips, hip distance apart. Tighten your abdominal muscles.

Curl your toes under, press back into your palms and bringing the balls of your feet onto the floor, lift your hips towards the ceiling and straighten your legs until you are forming an inverted V shape.

Hold briefly, then come down again on all fours.

Perform 6 repetitions.

Power Walking: Dog

Do your exercises slowly, controlled in 10 minutes sessions.

Try to do the core exercises at least every other day (if not enough time every day).

Important note: the core exercises do not replace the 5x30 minutes power walking weekly sessions :-)

Reference:
"50 Best Fitness Exercises, A step by step guide to the best toning exercise" - Parragon, 2011