9781422286951 An Integrated Life of Fitness Core Workouts

give up! Floor mats are flat pieces of foam material that fold or roll up for convenient storage. They’re pretty inexpensive, and can be bought at department stores or sports stores. Some people doing core workouts buy an exercise ball. Exercise balls are large, rubber balls that exercisers can use to practice balance and other movements. Make sure you’re using the right size—your feet should reach the floor and your knees should be bent at ninety-degree angles when you’re sitting on it. Exercise balls are great for improving balance. The core muscles have to do a lot of work when you’re balanc- ing on the ball. Medicine balls are another option for core workouts. Medicine balls are weighted balls that come in a variety of sizes and weights. They weigh anywhere from 2 to 25 pounds. Adding a medicine ball to a core workout routine increases your weight and leads to even more strength. They can also be used to improve balance. You can hold on to a medicine ball while doing sit-ups or balance on one while holding a plank position. A BOSU ball is another choice for core workouts. BOSU stands for “both sides up.” It looks like a ball cut in half and stuck on a flat disk. Both sides can be used for exercising. The rounded side gives support for exercises like planks, while the flat side lets you practice balancing as it wobbles with the round side down. EQUIPMENT AT THE GYM Some pieces of equipment you’ll only find at the gym (unless you want to pay a lot of money to create your own at-home gym). For example, rowing machines offer a good core workout, as well as working out your arms and legs. The rowing machine does what it sounds like—it reproduces the experience of rowing a boat in a gym. Gym machines may sound like pieces of equipment from a space- ship! How about the captain’s chair or the abdominal crunch machine? The captain’s chair is also known as a power tower, or a vertical knee raiser. This machine is great for strengthening the rectus abdominus muscles. The captain’s chair has supports and grips for your arms and

Core Workout Equipment and Safety

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