Did you know that your core is supposed to be the strongest muscle in your body?
No other part of your body is as important as your core because it controls every single movement that you make throughout your day.
Most people have heard of the word “CORE” or “MIDSECTION” and they immediately associate it with solely the abdominal area of the body. But in reality, your abdominal area is only one quadrant of your actual midsection. Your midsection has several components to it that exists but the primary and most popular way to describe your core would be the abdominal area, your lower back area, your oblique’s, your muscles surrounding your pelvis, and your glute muscles.
When strengthened correctly, the midsection can do some pretty amazing things for the body such as:
- Improve Your Posture
- Eliminate Lower Back Pain
- Improve Your Balance
- Improve Overall Strength
- Improve Range of Motion on Various Movements
- Improve Your Stability
- Lessen Your Risk of Falling
- Improve Your Flexibility
- Improve Your Sexual Experiences
- Improve Your Dance Moves
- Improve Your Athletic Performances
- Improve Your Workouts
- Improve other everyday activities such as vacuuming, mopping, dusting, squatting, getting dressed, mowing the lawn, taking out the garbage, riding a bike, swimming, walking, bathing, etc.
Not sure if you noticed it or not – but as you were just reading the list of ways that having a stronger core can improve your life, did you notice that appearance was not on the list?
Don’t get me wrong – having a nice firm midsection or completely toned set of 6 pack muscles look great and can really boost your confidence, looks are not everything and is considered more of a bonus. Having a strong midsection is more about improved quality of life and getting the most out of your body. Like the old adage says, “If you do right by your body, your body will do right by you.”
Having a strong midsection can benefit anyone, no matter what age or current fitness level they are at. This is especially true for women since having breasts can lead to bad posture which makes having a stronger core even more important. And if you are a woman who would like to have a baby sometime in the future, then another bonus to having a strong core before you even get pregnant is that your body will bounce back quicker after giving birth AND you may even be in labor shorter and push out your little bundle of joy quicker!
I know that after reading all of that, you must be extremely excited about hopping onto your Total Gym Fit RIGHT NOW to start toning up those core muscles and reaping those amazing benefits. So, if you are looking for some quick and simple workout ideas for your midsection that you can implement into your routine today, then look no further than the 5 exercises below that we came up with that you can do on your Total Gym Fit 2 – 5 days per week so that you can see and feel results in no time.
5 Midsection Exercises For You To Do On Your Total Gym Fit
Row Up & Down aka “Cheese Grater”:
Facing the Total Gym Fit, stand on your tippy toes in the incline push-up position with one hand on each side of the slider. Be sure to grab close to the bottom of the slider to ensure that you have plenty of leverage and full control. Next, you raise the slider up as high as you can towards the top of the Total Gym Fit, then you lower it slowly towards your feet. Repeat this sequence to complete the first rep and repeat the exercise to complete the set. Please be careful with this exercise and make sure that you remain in the incline push-up position throughout the entirety of the exercise while making sure that your butt is not too high or too low. (3 Sets of 15 Reps)
Plank Hold
Start with your body in a horizontal position with your weight on your toes and your palms face down on the seat of your Total Gym Fit. Keep your body as straight as possible and make sure the midsection is not positioned to high or too low. Hold this position for 30 seconds. (Complete 3 rounds of a 30 second hold and work your way up to 60 seconds for each.)
Knee Tucks
Position yourself with your knees on the seat of your Total Gym Fit and your arms fully extended holding onto the foot platform. With your arms fully extended the entire time, lower the seat of your Total Gym Fit with your knees driving downward towards the floor and then quickly driving the seat back up towards the top of your Total Gym Fit to complete one rep. Please Note: When you are on your Total Gym Fit performing this exercise, it is very important that your knees are the only moving part of your body and that nothing else is moving the entire time of your set. (3 Sets of 15 Reps)
Glute Bridge Lifts
Lie on your back with your knees bent, your arms by your sides, and your feet on the seat of your Total Gym Fit. Elevate your hips by pressing your weight down in your palms and in your feet. Focus on squeezing your glutes and driving your weight down through your heels into the seat of your Total Gym Fit and raise your body up and down to complete the first rep. (Complete 3 Sets of 15 Reps)
Leg Raises
Lay flat down on your back on top of the seat with your arms fully extended above your head to grab onto the hand grips of the Total Gym Fit with your hands facing one another. With your arms fully extended and your body stretched out, begin to lift your legs up simultaneously as high as you can to form the letter “L” out of your body, then slowly lower them back down. Repeat this sequence to complete the first rep and then you repeat the exercise to complete the set. (3 Sets of 15 Reps)
