You'll love this interesting combo of planks and a corkscrew to wrap up your core challenge.
| | | | | | | Heather's Tip | | “Planks are tough! If you feel your core muscles shaking after only a few seconds, that's totally normal. When your muscles are working hard to hold you in position while also resisting gravity, they tend to fatigue very quickly. Difficult exercises like planks deplete the chemical messengers that carry signals between your nerves and muscle cells, which causes things to go haywire. As some muscle fibers are contracting and others are relaxing, your body begins to shake like a leaf. Embrace the shake! The more you hold yourself in a plank position, the better your muscles and nerves will learn to communicate with each other, making your core muscles stronger and more stable.” — Heather Black, CPT, of the Verywell Fit Review Board | | | | | | | | | | Warm-Up: The Hundred | | |  | | | This is a classic Pilates move that warms up your core and lungs.
Lie on your back. Raise your legs and bend them at the knee in the tabletop position with your shins and ankles parallel to the floor. Raise your head, neck, and chest to engage your abdominal muscles. Extend your arms out straight parallel to the ground, palms down, and gently beat your arms a few inches up and down.
Aim to hold the pose and take deep breaths in and out while gently beating your arms 100 times.
| | | | | | | | | Plank | | |  | | | The plank is an excellent equipment-free exercise that works your whole core.
Get into your plank position and aim to hold it for 30 seconds.
For an extra challenge: Work your way up to holding the plank for 1 minute as you become more advanced.
| | | | | | | | | Side Plank | | |  | | | The side plank is an effective exercise for strengthening your oblique abdominal muscles. You will hold your body on your side in a straight position, supported only by one arm and the side of one foot. Strong obliques can be quite useful as core stabilization muscles.
Get into your side plank position, and aim to hold it for 30 seconds on each side.
| | Tip: If 30 seconds is too difficult, start holding it for a shorter amount of time and add a few more seconds each time in order to work your way up. | | | | | | | | | Reverse Plank | | |  | | | The reverse plank exercise is an often-overlooked exercise that is great for your core. It targets your posterior muscles (those along the backside of your body), but when done properly, it also engages your abdominal muscles.
Hold this position for 30 seconds.
| | | | | | | | | Double Leg Stretch | | |  | | | This is a favorite Pilates exercise, demanding strength, coordination, and endurance from your abdominal muscles.
Aim for 10 reps.
| | Tip: Make sure you keep your back on the ground. | | | | | | | | | Corkscrew | | |  | | | Corkscrew is a Pilates mat exercise that works your abdominal muscles from all angles, especially the obliques.
Aim for 5 reps in each direction.
| | | | | | | | | Cool Down: Cobra | | |  | | | Cobra Pose increases the mobility of your spine, strengthens your spinal support muscles, and can help relieve back pain. It opens your chest and the front of your body.
Hold this pose for 20 - 30 seconds, and repeat if desired.
| | | | | | | | | CONGRATULATIONS! | You've completed day 5 of the Verywell Fit 5-Day Core Challenge. You've done one of the best things you can do to improve your core strength and improve your ability to do everyday activities with more ease, better balance, better posture, and less pain.
Thank you for joining us! Repeat this workout as often as you like to maintain your progress, and be sure to look out for the next challenge coming to your inbox soon.
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