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