Recently I hosted a LIVE 6 week series called Foundation to Fit, and the feedback that I received was eye-opening! Many people expressed that previous to this course, they never learned fundamental techniques to help them connect into their deep core muscles, or to exercise with the confidence of knowing that their technique was on point for optimal results.Some of these people have been taking classes and exercising for years, but still can’t seem to get relief from low back pain, lose that lower ab “pooch”, increase mobility through their spine and the back of their legs, release tight hip flexors or perform a push-up without it hurting their shoulders and lower back.Over the years, I’ve put together countless programs for clients, teaching them fundamental techniques and personalizing their progression, which has lead to incredible transformations inside and out! Because of the times that we are in, with less ability to see clients in person, I’ve been putting my efforts into online programming so that I can teach more people these valuable techniques.Next month I will be officially launching my Foundation to Fit 6-week series! It will be professionally filmed, super affordable, and will allow you to follow at your own pace. If you need a little more group or individualized accountability, there are options for that as well. You can check out the details HERE.In the meantime…Here are my 7 secrets to a strong core~Breath~Breath is the fuel that fires our deep core muscles. Learning breathwork where we inhale by expanding laterally through the rib cage to flatten the belly and to exhale where we pull the rib cage inward while simultaneously drawing in and upward to activate the transverse abdominis, allows for sustained contraction throughout an exercise. This enables optimal support of the spine, spinal mobility, and overall strength through the core.~Alignment~ Proper alignment supports the ability to target and activate core muscles in various planes of movement. Understanding how to draw the shoulders down and back and move the pelvis into optional positions for a particular exercise will ultimately improve muscle imbalances, such as raised tight shoulders, or an accentuated anterior pelvic tilt that causes low back pain. In turn, it will improve posture and help you activate and strengthen your core more effectively.~Connection~ Concentration and awareness of each action within an exercise is key to achieving a solid core. From breathwork to alignment, to the exercise itself, we need to use our minds to connect to what muscles to target, when to initiate movement, and how long to hold an exercise. You will begin to understand how to effectively engage your muscles in various planes and adjust for your own body so that you can truly find control and empowerment in your movement.~Quality~Our core muscles have the ability to work simultaneously to stabilize, strengthen, and lengthen the spine. It’s essential to learn how to engage your deep core muscles through breath work before applying movement, like doing crunches or mountain climbers. As you progress forward, it’s important to know how to stabilize the pelvis and lift through the abs, not the neck; how to adjust the pelvis and relax the shoulders for better balance and posture; how to activate the glute and quad muscles to increase flexibility in the hamstrings or support yourself in a plank. The quality of your movement will not only prevent injury but will improve your performance in basically all aspects of fitness and sports.~Time under tension~ When it comes to building a solid core, slow and steady wins the race! Slowing down will not only help improve the connection, quality, and precision of an exercise, but will also improve both strength and endurance, and this is where you start to feel and see the gains!~Repetition~I’m not talking about doing 100’s is reps; I’m talking about precision. As you continue to practice and repeat a specific set of exercises, you will notice that those exercises will actually become more challenging. You are learning how to activate your core more effectively within each movement, and your core is getting stronger! Once you have those exercises down to the best of your ability, you can progress with more challenge and coordination.~Coordination~By incorporating more coordinated movements into your practice, you are not only challenging your strength and endurance, but you are also challenging your mind. This is where the real magic begins! At this point, your breath work and knowledge of how to target complimentary muscle groups starts to feel habitual and subconscious. You learn how to efficiently perform full-body exercises in various planes. You learn to use the body as one unit, becoming solid and light at the same time. You know when to hold your body isometrically while moving the other half, and how to find the right angles for optimal core activation and performance. Learning these techniques can be a little like learning a dance or a new language, but once you get them down, they become a foundation that will forever improve the quality of your movement, your body, and your life!By Sonja Lyth
