Serotonin-Plus Fitness Blog: Strengthen Your Core

Both men and women rate their midsection as their least favorite body part.  There are many benefits from having a strong core besides looking good.  Building strong abdominal muscles helps prevent back pain, it improves posture, and it improves balance. Try these core stabilizing exercises three times a week to strengthen all of your core muscles and to sculpt a sexy midsection.

• Pushup: Get down on all fours and place your hands on the floor so that they’re slightly wider than your shoulders. Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor. Pause at the bottom, and then push yourself back to the starting position as quickly as possible. If your hips sag at any point during the exercise, your form has broken down. Consider that your last repetition and end the set.
• Plank: Start to get into a pushup position, but bend your elbows and rest your weight on your forearms instead of on your hands. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles. Brace your core by contracting your abs as if you were about to be punched in the gut. Hold this position while breathing deeply.
• Hip Raises: Lie face up on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Raise your hips so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Hold for up to 5 seconds in the up position, then lower your body back to the starting position.