8 Apr 2009
Core Training
Is it me or does each decade seem to have its own ‘thing’? The 80’s had aerobics, the 90’s had safety – oh, that was fun – and the 00’s have been core stability and posture. At the moment the 10’s are looking at being a return to old-fashioned training ideas, such as kettle bells and outdoors workouts.
With this in mind let’s combine a bit of this decade with a bit of the next and look at improving our core stability with one of the most natural training devices in the world – water. Here are just a few ways in which we can use water to help make our training varied and effective.
Water-filled stability balls (or you could improvise with a water cooler bottle)
Take a standard stability ball and fill with 5-20 lb of water then carry out a Russian Twist. Arms out straight and moving naturally with the ball in front of you, the delayed movement of the water will call for more strength and control as you look to decelerate and change direction.
Shore training
Use the edge of the shore for some balance work, lunges/single leg exercises. The varied texture and ‘give’ of the sand will lend a unique challenge to the deep positional sense muscles of the core. Try different depths up to the upper thigh and make those beach workouts more entertaining.
Aquatic kickboxing
With its multidirectional force and ability to generate more resistance the harder you push or pull, kickboxing moves under the water are a great challenge for the stability and strength of the core. Place yourself in water up to your chest level and kick. Keep the core stable and let the moves initiate from there. Change the direction and angle of the kicks as you look for variety.
