How to Keep Your Core Strong During Lockdown

With the current “situation” and gyms being shut across the country, many of us are less active than ever. But this doesn’t have to be the case!

Maintaining some form of routine and exercise is not only good for our physical health but our mental health too, which is very important at times like this.

Fortunately, there’s a lot you can do from the safety of your home and with minimal equipment.

Why not start with working on your core?

Firstly, it’s important to understand what your “core” is and why we should keep it strong. Many think of the core as just your abs or what we see when you have a six-pack however there’s a lot more to it than that! It also encompasses the musculature surrounding your lower back and hips, which is why it’s important to do more than just crunches.

Why should we train our core?

1. A strong and stable core can improve athletic performance!

With access to gyms limited, many have taken to running. Did you know that strengthening your core has been shown to improve running performance? One study showed improvements in 5k times with just 6 weeks of adding in some specific core work. If you wanna beat your pal’s 5k times or simply become a better athlete, implement some of the exercises below!

2. Improving core strength and stability may reduce injuries!

Strong abdominal muscles provide support for the lumbar spine during the day to day activities and may prevent low back pain. Injuries to the muscles and joints are associated with insufficient strength and endurance of the muscles that stabilise the core. Essentially a strong core has the potential to keep you pain and injury-free.

3. If you want visible abs then you should train them!

If you want a six-pack, the most important thing is that you do not have a layer of body-fat covering them. So the first port of call would be lean enough to see them, which can be achieved through a calorie deficit aka burning more calories than you consume. However, the abdominals still need to be worked like any other muscle if you want them to grow. It has been shown in the research that training a muscle 2-3x per week is optimal for hypertrophy.

Aim to incorporate the exercises below into your routine at least a couple times a week if it is an aesthetic goal of yours to have abs.

The Core Exercises:

1. Hollow Hold (Position 1)

Lay with your back flat on the floor
Keep your knees close to a 90-degree angle
Feet close to the floor but not touching
Raise your shoulders off the floor by imagining drawing your ribcage down towards your hips and reaching towards your heels (do not strain your neck!)
Keep your hands by your hips but off the ground
Hold for 30seconds (it’s harder than it looks!)

2. Hollow Hold (Position 2)

Same instructions as above but extend one leg out so it’s straight.
Hold for 20seconds then swap legs and do another 20seconds.

3. Hollow Hold (Position 3)

Same instructions as above but extend both legs out so they’re straight
Hold for 30-40s
If you want to make this REALLY hard.. extend both arms out behind you

4. Power Plank

Elbows should be directly under your shoulders
Make sure your body is straight and your back isn’t “sagging”
Drive your elbows and toes into the ground and imagine pulling the ground towards your centre
Hold for 30seconds and keep squeezing

5. Plank/Elbow Shuffle

Start in the same position with your elbow under your shoulders
Shuffle one forward, follow with the second, then return to normal position
Keep your feet in the same place
Avoid your hips wobbling!
Aim for 10-15 reps

6. V-Sit/Flutter Kicks

Sit on your bum with your chest up and back straight
Raise your feet slightly off the floor
Sit back a little and perform alternating small flutter kicks
Aim for 30seconds

7. Pallof Press (Band)

Anchor the band at chest height when you’re in a kneeling position
Plant one foot in front of the other
Face side on to where the band is anchored
Keep your ribcage down and engage your abs
While holding the band in both hands, press straight forward in a controlled fashion
Resist the bands urge to pull back to the anchor
Bring back to the chest slowly and repeat
Aim for 10-15 reps each side

8. Single-Leg Hip Thrusts

Lay flat on your back
Plant one foot and keep the other out straight
Drive through your heel and raise your hips off the floor
Squeeze your glute and keep your hips stable
Aim for 10 each side
Raise your shoulders (e.g. on the sofa) to make it harder

9. Side Plank

Position yourself on your side with your elbow under your shoulder
Raise your hips off the floor and maintain a straight body
Hold for 30 seconds each side

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How to Keep Your Core Strong During Lockdown