Gone are the days of old fashioned sit ups. They have been replaced with safer, more effective and creative exercises like pelvic tilts, forearm planks, bridges and knee pull-ins. But don’t forget your abdominal rotation exercises. These are crucial in developing a strong core. Do you know how many muscles you use to do a rotation? 1? 2? 3?
Here’s a list of the core muscles used:
Rectus Abdominus
External Obliques
Internal Obliques
Transversus Abdominus
Quadratus Lumborum
Erector Spinae
Splenius
Multifidus
Now add to that all of the upper and lower body muscles you use when picking up a box, for example, and turn to put it on a shelf.
Your core is made up of numerous overlaying and underlaying muscles that go in different directions. Why? So you can do a variety of movements and be protected. To see detailed illustrations of muscle anatomy check out anatomybodydiagram.com.
Here are three of my favorite rotation exercises. Enjoy!
If you don’t have a barbell, try using a broom stick or pole.
If you are uncomfortable lying on the floor, use a mat or lie on your bed.
If you don’t have access to a cable machine, you can use bands or tubing.