Core workout with hip mobility work

This core workout is 25 minutes and is good for all levels. In this core workout, we focus on overall core strength as well as hip flexibility and hip mobility. The transverse abdominis is a complex group of muscles that make up the core.

When we talk about core strength, it encompasses more than just the traditional six-pack. One of the happy side effects of having a strong core is a six-pack, but more important than looking good is to live a life without back pain. Since there are a gang load of muscles that connect down around your lower back, hips, and pelvis (also known as the lumbo plevic hip complex) it's important to make sure to spend some time down there.

I would like to share the motivation behind this workout since I feel that there are others out there who like me, would benefit from this core workout the most. I am the lucky dad of two boys who are full of energy, creativity and like to rough house. At 4 and 6 years of age, they are getting big enough that when we play, we play hard. Initially, I would get back pain after a rough play session and that made me scared to be active on their level the next time we would get after it.

Instead of saying "No, daddy can't play because last time you jumped on my neck and I threw my back out. But I'll watch from over here." I would rather like to be the dad who says "Let's do this!" (and mean it!).

As a personal trainer and yoga teacher, I spend most of my days moving, picking heavy things up, and stretching a fair amount. But when covid-19 came to town and we all got the stay at home order, I found that I was sitting at a desk for most of the day with a few online classes here and there. I learned something that most of you already know, that sitting down for long periods of time sucks. Muscles began tightening up and lower back pain became more frequent.

I've only had to do a sit-down job for a few months, but if you have a job where you sit for long periods of time, I feel for ya. However, I found that by taking the time to do core work and mobility work for a few minutes every day, I was able to make a big improvement on my body core health as well as get a flatter tummy.

This core workout video is 25 minutes long and covers a LOT of ground. The biggest reason I hear why people don't exercise on a regular basis is they don't have the time and they don't enjoy it. For the time issue, I totally get it! As a dad trying to get in shape, we have to juggle work and life and true to form, time is tight. But I challenge any dad who can't carve out 25 minutes for self-care.

I know dads who spend an easy 25 minutes in the bathroom in the morning as "personal time" and I know that taking a dump doesn't take that long. Instead, take that time and do your core workout 2-3 days a week to take the action to stay healthy and fit for your kids and your family.

Now, I know that most dads don't want to spend their sacred time doing hip mobility work and would rather spend their workout time lifting heavy things or doing cardio till you sweat like a pig because that feels like the most productive use of your time. And it is! But you are only as strong as your weakest link and for a lot of people out there, your weakest link is in your lower back.

If you have a strong core and full mobility in your lumbo pelvic hip complex, you will be able to lift more, workout harder, and make your "productive" workouts even more productive. If you are a dad with a dad bod and would like to make this year the year that you transform that dad bod into a father figure, then take the time for self-care. It will ultimately make your workouts more productive and get you more in tune with your body.

To make it easy for all my fellow dads out there, I made a 30-day program called Dad Bod Transformation. In this health and fitness course for dads, I lay it all down in an easy to follow 30-day course to help dads make a healthy change. Every week you get a workout program, eating strategy guide, and support. But more important than all that goodness, we take the time to address flexibility and mobility as well as create the groundwork for habit identification and creation.

The goal is that by the end of the 30 days, you will have the habit system in place to exercise daily, eat a 90% clean diet, and maintain better sleep habits. All of these steps are a part of the process that goes into making a dad bod transformation and no one action can do it alone. Put all these steps together and you begin to see a real lasting positive change like losing weight, building muscles, sleeping better, having more energy, being in a better frame of mind, and hopefully being better in bed.

So take the next step, which may very well be the first step and also the hardest step... Reach out and get started. Contact me HERE for a no-stress exploration call to see if this program would be a good fit for you. Because this program isn't for everybody, but for those who are coachable and who are willing to put in the work, this program works!

Thanks for reading and I hope this workout was a good one for you. Stay healthy, stay safe, and stay awesome!

Nolan

Full transcript of the workout below ~

laying flat on your back

and we'll begin with some hip mobility

work

before we launch into the core exercises

so laying on your back we're going to

put your feet on either side of the mat

so you got like a good amount of space

in between your heels and your knees are

kind of far apart

and we're going to drop both knees over

to one side

so you got one knee kind of floating in

the air and your other knee gets really

close down to the ground taking a deep

breath so you're kind of getting a

stretch across the top part of your hip

right here

and then come on up to center and drop

both knees over to the other side

so again like you got one leg kind of

floating in the air

other knees kind of close down to the

ground and just letting the weight of

your legs

be the thing that's stretching out all

the muscles around your hip

read that one more time on each side so

getting both knees up drop and move to

the other side

just letting the weight of your legs

take it down so you kind of get that

stretch

taking a deep breath and as you exhale

let your legs be heavy

one more time come back up to center

dropping them over to the other side

the last time

holding for two breaths here

and then coming on back up and we can

bring your feet a little bit closer

together we're going to come to a set of

25 crunches straight up and down

and as you come up try and give a big

exhale

at the top of each crunch so you're kind

of emptying out your lungs

and it kind of allows you to hold the

top of the crunch for a moment

so going at your own pace going for 25

try to maintain that space between your

chin and your chest

foreign

once you finish up that set of 25 we're

going to hook your right

ankle over your left knee

and from here we're going to drop both

knees over to the right side

so you're letting the weight of that

ankle kind of provide a little bit of

pressure

on top of that hip

taking a deep breath as we continue

stretching out your lumbar

pelvic hip complex

two more breaths here

and then coming up to center we're going

to interlace your fingers

in between your thighs of the leg that's

kind of floating in the air

and then very gently we're going to pull

your legs towards your face

so we're stretching out the outside edge

of your right right bum cheek

hold here for a few breaths and we'll

pull just hard enough that you're

getting a good stretch through your hip

but not so

hard that like anything hurts hold here

for one more breath

and we'll plant that left foot down on

the floor

bring both hands behind your head and

we'll do 15

figure four crunches straight up and

down so you can use your hands to

support your head

or put your hands across your chest but

either way we're going to maintain that

space between your chin and your chest

and give a big

exhale each time you come up for the

crunch

and cool once you're done with that set

of 15

you'll just switch legs putting your

left ankle over your right knee

and then again dropping both your legs

over to the left side so you got that

ankle on top of your right knee which is

kind of providing a little bit of

pressure to push down to stretch out

through your right hip

on the top part taking a few breaths

here

and then slowly rotating back to center

you're going to slide your hands in

between your legs to grab onto the

outside edge

of your right thigh and then gently pull

your legs towards your face

so you're getting that stretch through

your left bone cheek give a little rock

side to side if you want to

two more breaths here

and then coming on down we're gonna

plant your right heel on the floor

and do figure four crunches on the other

side so going for 15 of these

either hands behind your head or across

your chest

and 15 crunches

great once you finish up that set of 15