You can rebuild your body at home on the carpet

By ERIC KRAUSHAR
Sports Editor

Many of us neglect core exercises in our daily fitness workouts. Sure, we throw in a sit-up or crunch, but the opportunities to tone the middle of our bodies are endless.

You can do core exercises on a carpeted floor or mat. Use a wall or stability ball. Any exercise that uses the trunk of your body without support counts. Think squats, push-ups and abdominal crunches.

What is the core?

Your body's core is the area around your trunk and pelvis. When you have good core stability, the muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen work in harmony. Strong core muscles make it easier to do most physical activities — from bending down to pick up a child to stocking the pantry to swinging the softball bat.

“Having a strong core helps overall performance — improves your posture, prevents the risk of injury and helps with lower back pain, which is very common,” said Hutchinson’s Sarah Popp, owner of Core Exercise Studio.

Popp has always been a proponent of core exercises. She started teaching core classes in college and in past years started teaching Butts ’n Guts through the Hutchinson Parks and Rec Department.

What started out as a small venture with a dozen students now has turned into her very own core studio.

“This all started with getting our dancers into a studio and having stronger bodies because that’s where we were being beat,” said Popp, assistant coach for the Hutchinson Showstoppers dance team. “Butts ’n Guts was a great class for that. And it kind of just expanded from that. But all of the classes we offer (at the studio) really incorporate your core.”

Core Exercise Studio offers five to seven classes most days of the week, ranging from core conditioning to cardio and strength to pilates. The studio also offers kids classes, as well as yoga and specialized class. June’s feature class was Dance Fusion.

“We opened it up to the public and it really took off. We had like 10 ladies that asked me after the Parks and Rec class ended to teach it privately. Then we started doing kick boxing and pilates classes and then even more, so I found this space and it just continues to grow,” Popp said.

Expanding your core exercises
Just as the Hutchinson Main Street studio continues to grow, so does the core craze. Like yoga and pilates in recent years, core exercises are becoming a daily routine for most exercise routines.

“Definitely it can be a daily thing. It really all depends on each person,” Popp said. “You can go to a gym and do some lifting and weight training or a cardio class and you can still get some benefits for your core. Or, you can find a routine that hits on both. The guidelines seem to always change, so it really all depends on how rigorous your workouts are. I would say at least five to six days. The benefits of having a strong core are so great.”

Popp recommends breathing freely and deeply and focusing on tightening your abdominal muscles during each exercise. Repetition with each exercise is key.

“It’s all about moderation,” she said. “You don’t want to focus on just one exercise. A lot of times people come in and say ‘I want to lose my love handles.’ Well, you can strength train until you’re blue in the face, but if you’re not going to get cardio in there, you’re not going to lose the fat. You should definitely work on strengthening your core, but at the same time, work on your cardio and other things. But, all of your movement originates from your core.”

A strong core makes a strong body.

Three favorite core exercises of Core Exercise Studio’s Sarah Popp:

he classic plank: Works your core muscles, arms, shoulders, and back
For the basic move, lie facedown, resting on your forearms, with palms flat on the floor. Push up, rising onto your toes and elbows. Keep your back flat and hold for 20 to 60 seconds. Lower and repeat. The plank is a great move for strengthening the core, because it works your back, arms, shoulders, and all of the deep abdominal stabilizing muscles in between. There are also several variations to this “classic” move that can increase the intensity of this exercise.

Chest press with crunch: Works core and chest
Grab a pair of 8- to 10-pound dumbbells and lie with your upper back on a stability ball, feet flat on the floor. Position the dumbbells over your shoulders. Press the weights straight up. Once your arms are straight, brace your abs and lift your shoulder blades off the ball. Pause, then lower back to start. Do 8 to 10 reps.

The Band 100: Works your core powerhouse muscles
Lying down, fold an exercise band in half, and hold ends. Stretch your arms out towards legs, lift legs to a 45-degree angle. Crunch and stretch arms forward. Pull hands apart and pump up and down, five pumps for each inhale and exhale. Repeat for four breaths. Ultimately increase to 100 pulls.