All I Want for Christmas is a Strong Core

It's definitely Christmas time here around Porters Neck Country Club! We've got a tree as tall as our first floor, Toys for Tot's drive filled with tons of fun stuff for kids in need, and the Porters Neck Christmas home tour coming up this weekend. Several families go all out decorating and you can buy tickets for $10.00 to take a tour through everyone's special and uniquely decorated homes. 

Check out this jeep I saw in the Sports Center parking lot. I have no idea whose it is, but I think it is pretty cool. 

I haven't had a chance to decorate my office yet, but you better believe that's coming up soon. Hope to have that done by the end of this week. 

Today

This morning started off with a pup walk and then an early Nutrition Consultation with one of my members who is making great progress. I'm super excited about that! Maintaining weight during the holidays is a huge feat, but seeing weight loss is even better. After that, I completed some office work and taught a Core class at 10:30. Here's what we did, try it out on your own!

Links to Demonstrations (Videos not mine)

Supermans (1:20) Done with light hand weight

Donkey Kick We did these with a small ball squeezed between the back of the knee to keep form

Fire Hydrant We also did these with a small ball squeezed between the back of the knee

Single Leg V-Ups  Weigh in hands-optional

When people think of the "core", a lot of us are a bit unclear about what that actually means. Of course, abdominals come to mind first, and definitely back is typically thrown in the mix as well. Did you know that the muscles surrounding your pelvic region are also considered part of the core? Our hip flexors and glutes are important pieces to strengthen in order to create the most efficient working core. And we all know that everything we do starts with the core! No matter what your fitness goals may be, whether you are an athlete of any kind, a fitness guru, someone who works out for aesthetic purposes or just looking to increase your overall activities of daily living, every movement comes back to the core. If you have a weak core, the rest of your body will suffer. One example that is commonly seen is a lot of hip tightness and back pain that typically stems from the core. Doing core specific strength training, as well as yoga and pilates are great ways to increase your strength in these areas. 

If you are looking to "tone up" your core, keep in mind, there is no such thing as spot reducing- meaning we cannot work a certain area to make it appear more toned. We can strengthen the muscles in the area, but strength training alone will not eliminate the layer of fat that sits on top of the muscle. Decreasing this fat layer is what will actually make your muscles more visible and thus, allow you to appear more toned. In order to decrease fat, we must focus on our diet and up our cardio routine. While strength training increases overall muscle mass, and thus allows us to burn calories more efficiently, cardio and diet are the key players in reducing fat and changing our appearance in any area of the body.

Question of the day:
Have you started decorating for Christmas? 
What is your favorite core move?