Reminder: We need a strong stomach and back for optimal health. Achieving strength in these areas requires consistent effort and focused training. This past year, however, has strained many of our backs and stretched our bellies. Cortisol levels have been high. Working from home has created a new set of challenges to our health and well-being. The walk from the car to the office, around the building, daily face to face chats with co-workers and other goings about during the work day have been replaced with hours in our home, in close proximity to a fridge, in relaxed gear. True, many are back in a work setting, but it is a changed landscape. I’ve come to the realization that waiting to go back to the old will not come and the time has come to let go of the pause button. Has this new way of life taken a small toll on you? Your back, shoulder or neck may hurt a bit more and you may be dealing with stomach bloat. If so, what to do? First, recognize your concerns and seek to develop some new habits to mitigate. Say, “Enough!” Change can come with small, repeated efforts. Increased awareness of how you move, coupled with adding more focused midline work into your fitness regime is one way to improve your situation. Every time you pick up a sack of groceries, a home object, a weight in the gym, do a burpee or get-up, make an effort to pay attention to whether you have engaged your stomach and back muscles (midline). If you ask yourself this question you are likely to take a big breath in, squeeze your glutes and get set up more safely before executing said movement. You want to be a tight solider not a raggedy ann. If poked in the stomach you are now a brick not a soft doll.
Athletics AB Outs at the end of class are meant to strengthen your front and backside and relax you before you charge back into life. A consistent routine of planks, superman’s, hollow holds and other core strengthening movements, coupled with belly breathing, are worth the investment in time and keep us moving forward.
After a workout we may not feel like doing this extra piece, but just take it slow and commit to a minimum of 1 round. Think of it as a self-care act. Start with the round and see where it goes. We work with what we have in us each day. Small consistent steps, friends, let’s keeping taking them.
Athletics: 4 pm 2.19. 21
Warm Up:
15 full body rocks to stand into 2 rounds of:
5 push-ups, 7 ring rows, 9 cross touch squats, 11 squat thrusts or 200 m row
WOD:
21 min amrap
15 cal row
10 burpees over object
WOD notes: Row sub = 400m run. Barbell or DB Power Cleans – challenging 5 reps.
Home Gym: Row = 90 second odd object sumo deadlift high pulls or 2 min marching/high energy cross crawls, jumping jacks/running in place, increase power clean reps to 10-15 if only light weight available or consider kneeling jumps as a no equipment option.
AB Out:
Complete 3 rounds :30 seconds on/:15 off of each movement before moving to the next.
:30 on/:15 off
Plank rotations
Crossbody Mountain Climbers (slow)
Leg Raises
Finish: 1 min belly breathing on back, knees hugged to chest
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