Enjoying a Strong Core

Core stabilization exercises aren’t sexy, but they’re critically important to enjoying everyday living.

• Real-life benefits: A strong core supports good posture and proper joint alignment. Good posture not only makes you look and feel better but also prevents back pain. A strong core allows you to stand for long periods of time without pain or survive sitting at your desk and working at your computer for long hours.
• Injury prevention: Good posture places the least amount of stress on your joints. Strong stabilizers keep your neck, shoulders, hips, and knees properly aligned to minimize wear and tear on your body. Strong stabilizers also let you use the strength in your arms and legs. For example, if you don’t have a stable shoulder joint, regardless of how strong your arms and back are, lifting items like a suitcase without hurting your shoulder may be tough.
• The “Feel Good” factor: Nothing boosts your confidence like great posture and moving from the center of your being. Standing up tall; facing life straight on. That’s what it’s all about.

Toe lift

If you’re prone to shin splints and ankle problems, adding the toe lift to your repertoire is a must.

Getting set
Stand with your feet as wide as your hips and your legs straight but not locked. You may hold onto a sturdy object for support. See photo A.

The exercise
Keeping your heels firmly planted into the floor, lift your toes as high as you can. Feel the tightening through the lower part of your shins. Lower your toes. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO lift only the part of your foot that’s in front of the ball of your foot.
• DON’T rock back onto your heels.

Other options
Seated toe lift (easier): Do the toe lift while seated with your knees bent.
Exercise sequence (harder): Do the toe lift immediately following calf raises.
Band toe lift (harder): Do the toe lift while seated, but wrap a band around the back edges of your toes. You’ll feel resistance both when lifting your toes and when lowering them. (Don’t use the band to help lift though.)

Standing calf raise

The standing calf raise hones in on your calf muscles.

Getting set
Stand on the edge of a step. (Or, if you have a step aerobics platform, place two sets of risers underneath the platform.) Stand tall with the balls of your feet firmly planted on the step and your heels hanging over the edge. Rest your hands against a wall or a sturdy object for balance. Stand tall with your abdominals pulled in. See photo A.

The exercise
Raise your heels a few inches above the edge of the step so you’re on your tiptoes. Hold the position for a moment, and then lower your heels back down. Lower your heels below the platform in order to stretch your calf muscles. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO lift as high as you can on your toes.
• DO lower your heels down as much as your ankle flexibility allows.

Other options
Standing calf machine: Stand with your shoulders snugly underneath two pads and your heels handing off the edge of a platform. The standing calf machine isolates the gastrocnemius. If you want to get your soleus into the act (and you do if you do a lot of activities that involve walking, running, or jumping), look for a seated calf machine. Your knees fit underneath a platform and your heels again hang off the edge.
Add a dumbbell (harder): Holding a dumbbell in one hand adds resistance to this exercise and also forces you to balance more because you won’t be able to hold onto something with both hands.
One-leg calf raise (harder): To work one calf at a time, bend one knee behind you and raise the heel of your other foot up and down. Do the same number of repetitions with each leg.

Inner thigh lift

The inner thigh lift strengthens your inner thigh muscles. Use caution if you have lower back problems.

Getting set
Roll up a bath towel (or use a step aerobics platform). Lie on your right side with your head resting on your outstretched arm. Bend your left leg and rest your knee on top of the rolled towel so that your knee is level with your hip and your top hip is directly over your bottom hip. Place your left hand on the floor in front of your chest for support. Pull your abdominals in. See photo A.

The exercise
Lift your bottom (right) leg a few inches off the floor. Pause briefly at the top of the movement, and slowly lower your leg back down. Switch sides and do the same number of repetitions with your left leg. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DON’T lift your leg more than a few inches. Stop when you feel tension in your inner thigh. How high you need to lift depends on your flexibility, your strength, and your build.
• DON’T arch your back as you lift your leg.

Other options
Modified inner thigh lift (easier): Instead of placing your top knee on the towel, bend your knee and place your foot behind your bottom leg.
Inner thigh lift with a weight (harder): Wear an ankle weight while performing the inner thigh lift. If you have bad knees, drape the weight on top of your inner thigh.

Side-lying leg lift

The side-lying leg lift strengthens your outer thigh muscles. Pay attention to the instructions marked by the Posture Patrol icon, particularly if you have a history of lower back pain.

Getting set
Lie on the floor on your left side with your legs a few inches in front of you, knees bent slightly, and head resting on your outstretched arm. Bend your right arm and place your palm on the floor in front of your chest for support. Align your right hip directly over your left hip and pull your abdominals in so your back isn’t arched. See photo A.

The exercise
Keeping your knee slightly bent, raise your right leg until your foot reaches shoulder height. Then slowly lower your leg back down. Switch sides and do the same number of repetitions with your left leg. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO keep your top hip stacked directly over your bottom hip; don’t roll backward.
• DO keep your head down and your neck and shoulders relaxed.
• DO keep your abdominals pulled in to help your body remain still so you work only your outer thigh.
• DON’T raise your foot any higher than shoulder height.

Other options

• Modified leg lift (easier): Bend your top knee even more when performing the side-lying leg lift.
• Leg lift with rotation (harder): When you reach the top of the movement, rotate your thigh outward by turning your knee up to the ceiling; then rotate back to the original position and lower your leg back down.
• Leg lift with a weight (harder): Place an ankle weight on your ankle or, if you have knee problems, on top of your thigh.

Inner/outer thigh machine

The inner/outer thigh machine sets to strengthen either your inner thigh muscles or your outer thigh muscles. Skaters, skiers, and basketball players —anyone involved in side-to-side movements — can help prevent injury by using this machine.

Getting set
Set the machine so the leg mechanisms are together and the knee and ankle pads are rotated to the outside. Sit up tall in the seat, and bend your knees so they rest against the thigh pads and the outside of your ankles rest against the ankle pads. If there’s a seat belt, wear it to help keep you from popping out of the machine. Pull your abdominals in and sit up tall. See photo A.

The exercise
Press your knees outward until you feel tension in your outer thighs. Hold the position for a moment, and then slowly allow your legs to move back together. This is the outer thigh, or abduction, exercise. To set the machine for the inner thigh, or adduction, exercise, shift the leg mechanisms so they’re comfortably spread apart, and turn the knee and ankle pads toward the inside. Position your legs so that the inside of your knees rest against the thigh pads, and the inside of your ankles rest against the ankle pads. Pull your legs together, and then slowly move them back out to a point at which you feel a comfortable stretch through your inner thighs. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO control the movement in both directions. If you hear the weight stack come crashing down, slow down.
• DO change the weight between exercises if you need to. Most people use approximately the same weight for both inner and outer thigh exercises, but don’t take that for granted.
• aDON’T arch your back or wiggle around in the seat in an effort to assist your legs.

Other options
Vary seat position: Some machines allow you to decline the seat back a few degrees or even all the way down so you can lie flat. Experiment with different back positions to see what’s most comfortable for you and to give the exercise a different feel.

Leg curl machine

The leg curl machine does a great job of strengthening your hamstring muscles.
Use caution if you have a history of lower back discomfort.

Getting set
Set the ankle pads of the machine so that when you lie on your stomach, the underside of the pads are flush with the tops of your heels. Lie down, rest the side of your face on the support pad, and grasp the handles. Gently flex your feet. Pull your abdominals in and tuck your hips down so your hipbones press into the pad. See photo A.

The exercise
Bend your knees to lift the ankle bar until your calves are perpendicular to the floor. Then slowly straighten your legs. See photo B.

Do’s and don’ts

• DO keep your hipbones pressed against the machine and your abdominals pulled in. You may want to lift your thighs just a hair upward before you bend your knees.
• DO lower your legs back down slowly so the weights you’re lifting don’t slam down against the rest of the stack.
• DON’T — and this is a big don’t — allow your butt to pop off the pad. This puts stress on your lower back and minimizes the work being done by your hamstrings.
• DON’T kick your heels all the way to your butt.

Other options
Other curl machines: Some machines work your hamstrings from a standing or seated position. Others have independent left and right sides so that each leg has to carry its own share of the weight. Still others have a “range limiting” device that allows you to cut off the movement at the top or bottom —a good variation if you’re experiencing any pain while doing this exercise.
Single-leg curl: Lift with both legs, straighten one out of the way, and lower the weight down with one leg only.