Sunday Ramblings...and an exercise of the week.

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!! 
I hope your parties, food fests, and naps have been remarkable.
I love the weekend. I really do.

Yesterday morning's boot camp class was awesome.
The girls really pushed themselves. and we were all reaaalll schweaty. A great sign :) I mentioned before that once a week I am going to bring all of the campers a healthy recipe. Well, one of the girls went and bought DARLING binders for everyone to create healthy recipe books from. The sense of community that has come in this class is so fun to be a part of. It reminded me the benefit that come from having a positive support group. It can make all the difference.

Post boot camp and training I went to the gym by my house to get some more cardio in. I needed to burn a few more calories, and I wanted a change in location. (Truth be told I knew there was going to be a Glee Marathon on Oxygen today...what a great way to take my mind of doing cardio.) I wasn't STOKED about being at the gym, but I ran into JANAE, one of my favorite people in this world. We started talking while elipticizing, and she got me through my first 15 minutes before she was on her way out the door. For whatever reason the first 15 are usually the worst, and if I can get that out of my system I'm golden. I ended up with

- 30 minute intervals on the elliptical
- 10 minute intervals on the stairs
- 10 minute sprint back and forth at a 7:30-8:00 pace
Then I did about 10 minutes of core work.

I am a HUGE believer in core work. I had a back injury for about a year that was aggravated by my running, and I couldn't seem to shake it. I went to a chiropractor, sought doctors opinions, and read just about everything I could to try and figure out what in the world I could do to stop the pain I was having. We came to the conclusion that I had a bulging disk and unless I wanted to do some surgery I was going to have to figure out my own remedies.

So...I started getting into core work. I began very basic with planks, stability exercises, balance work, and lots of focus on the trunk and lower body. I have since continued to get creative with exercises that work the core and aren't super boring...Sometimes I get exercise ADD. That, and I'm all about muscle confusion, so I really like to mix it up. The core work made ALL the difference. I have since seen the same phenomenon with many of my clients. It makes sense...your core is your powerhouse. If your core is strong everything else will become easier. Think of a runner with a weak lower back/trunk/abs vs a runner with a tight strong core, or even a mom lifting kids or groceries. A Strong Core = Powerful.

Some of my favorites core exercises are:
Plank Push Ups
Crazy Plank AKA (Up Up Down Downs)
Plank Kickbacks
Weighted Burpees These Are HARD but SO great.
Oblique Plank Twists
Single Leg Squats
Focus on the lower back and abs while doing an upright row with a dead lift
Use a Ball instead of a bench for your exercises like this Chest Press on Physio Ball
And if you are real crazy...and I know you are...try out some Physio Ball Balancing

I have had a few people ask for some video tutorials to show my favorite exercises...maybe...
I, A) hate the sound of my own voice and B) would rather keep the super cool image of what you portray me as in your head untarnished ;) Jk...I'll think about it.

Side Note: Last night we watched the movie, The Boy In The Striped Pajamas...My heart still hurts. It was the SADDEST movie I've ever seen. Has anyone else seen it!?!? 

Did you have a good Super Bowl Sunday? I did :) I watched like 15 minutes of the game and the half time show. That was about all I could muster. I did make some yummy black bean salsa and salsa chicken. (I'll share that recipe tomorrow.) Are you a believer in working your core, and if so what is your favorite core exercise?
Also...you have until 11:59 PM tonight to enter the February Favorites Mix Giveaway if you haven't yet. The winner will be announced tomorrow!