"Suck in your abs!" "Pull your belly button in toward your spine." "Use your trunk!""Engage your core." If you’ve been to a fitness facility in the last twenty years (and if you’re reading this, there’s a very high likelihood you have) you’ve heard at least one of these common cues used by a fellow gym go-er or the trainer beside you, trying to help someone use their abdominal muscles. But what does any of it mean? Sucking in your belly button by itself doesn’t “require” you to properly engage that muscle group to prepare for movement. To help you better understand what everyone means by these phrases and the response they’re looking for, we’ll be discussing: What muscles are involved The importance of learning to “brace” your core/trunk Reviewing a common exercise and some of its variations to help you understand it And HOW to properly activate your core muscles What is my core? To most professionals, the core is the lumbar-pelvic (trunk) and hip complex. The Core is composed of as many as 35 different muscle groups connecting into the pelvis from the spine and hip area. Many of these muscles are hidden beneath the exterior musculature people typically train. Major muscles include the pelvic floor muscles, psoas, transverse abdominis, multifidus, internal and external obliques, rectus abdominis, erector spinae, and diaphragm. Some minor core muscles include the latissimus dorsi, gluteus maximus, and trapezius. Why is it important & how do I brace it? The core is the center of gravity and where all movement begins. It is also the center of stability for the lower limbs and creates the necessary rotational forces for movements like throwing. For muscles to move bones, other muscles need to hold on to bones creating a solid base or anchor. Therefore, the muscles in the core function as stabilizers and/or mobilize bone to allow movement. How do the muscles know which to do: stabilize or mobilize? The brain bosses around the muscles. All we have to do is think it… and the brain sends a message to the muscles that are needed for whatever activity we need to perform, e.g. sprint, slide to the right, or jump. Sometimes the muscles are injured, fatigued, or out of shape and then, automatically, other muscles take over to help out. This is how we create imbalances that lead to injuries. The core is an important part of any sport that involves running, jumping, and sprinting (so, most of them). Good muscle activation and strength within the core is critical for all athletes to continue to build muscle size, endurance, and power. Since we have the time, (with the unemployment rate in April at 14.7% and growing) proper bracing, or activating of the core area will be a simple way to help you maintain the results you had achieved before COVID. Or maybe help you regain anything that may have started slipping during this seemingly never-ending pandemic. One of the most basic ways to activate the core is to lay on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground. (This is also the basic starting position for a common exercise we will go over in a second.) Taking a light-to-moderate weight (if you don’t have a dumbbell because they were sold out 1 hour into the stay-at-home order, you can use a household item such as a jug of water) place it on your belly button and “don’t let the weight push through you to your spine.” Now, “engage your core” so that the weight is held in place by your abdominals. Another way of describing the sensation can also be referred to as “bearing down” as if you had to go to the bathroom, but without the end result. You should still be able to breathe during this, so if you can’t take a breath without the weight sinking in, you still have some more work to do. An example exercise & its variations Many exercises can help not only activate your core muscles, but also increase your core strength, endurance, and power. Today we will review one of the basics- a classic- the dead bug. If you take the time to do it right, it should still provide you with plenty of challenge. To perform the dead bug, get back into our position laying on the ground, with knees bent and hands raised so that your fingertips point at the ceiling. With your knees bent, raise your feet off the ground and position your knees so they are directly over your hips. Using the bracing technique we discussed earlier to engage your core, begin to move one arm and one leg in an alternating and opposite fashion (your right arm and left leg move at the same time while your left arm and right leg stay steady and immobile). Bring your heel and thumb to hover for a split second just before it touches the ground, and then return to the starting position. Come to a complete stop before switching the active arm and leg... congratulations, you’ve just done a dead bug! Pro tip: Remember, your lumbar/lower back should stay slightly arched, but should not “POP” off the ground; if your low back comes off the ground, you will more than likely experience discomfort/pain in the lumbar region. You can modify the dead bug to adjust its challenge, depending on how well you can perform the basic version. To make it easier: place your feet flat on the ground and perform the activity in the same way, but instead of your feet coming off the ground, slide them away from your body so that your knee extends and your leg ends flat on the ground. To make it harder: (assuming you can do a minimum of 2 sets of 10 per side without experiencing low back pain) you can use several different methods. Hold a weight in your hands and keep the weight above your chest while alternating your legs. Tie a resistance band to an anchor and hold it so that the band is at a 90-degree angle perpendicular to your torso. Resist the urge to actively rotate and continue to alternate your legs, to make sure you stay balanced, perform the same number of sets and reps on each side. (If this word salad doesn’t make sense, stay tuned to our Instagram page for posts on how to activate and train your core. If I were a betting man, I’d bet you’ll see this on there soon!) The whole of our parts Lastly, as important as a strong core is, it is but another section of the body, and your workout should reflect this. Nothing truly works by itself, as everything in the body is connected in some way. A recently published study in the Journal of Sports Rehabilitation looked at how exercise intervention might improve scores in the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) of collegiate athletes. The synopsis of the study showed that, although training for core and functional movements are important to include in a fitness program (especially for injury prevention), they should not be the only/primary emphasis of any training program. In other words: get a full-body strength workout to get them #gainz. If you’re only doing cardio and core, you’re missing out on your body's full potential. If you have any questions on this, feel free to reach out to us through our website or you can always ask us on our Instagram, where we host Ask A Trainer Tuesdays in our Story.

Recently, most of us have had to convert to working out in our home gyms. For many, that includes a small open space on the floor and maybe a couple of weights- if you were able to get them before all gym equipment went out of stock. This might lead to feeling limited in your workouts, and craving more challenge. Today, we will use the split squat as an example to talk about how modifications can take your workouts up a notch. Form Check! First, let’s break down the split squat. This exercise primarily works the quadriceps, glutes, and adductors (groin) of the front leg. From the standing position, step forward as if you are doing a lunge. The front foot should be flat on the floor, and back foot up on the toes. If you are struggling to find your ideal stride length, try starting from a half-kneeling position on the floor with one knee down and one foot forward, both knees at 90 degrees. Stand up from this position and this will be the top of your split squat. From here, slowly lower yourself down by shifting your weight to your front leg, until your back knee almost touches the floor. Next push off that front foot to return to standing in the split stance. Keep your feet where they are and complete all reps on one side before switching to the next. Once You've Got the Form Down... Now let’s spice it up! Here are a few ways to switch it up if your split squats start to feel easy. 1. Add a Pause/ Isometric Hold An easy way to add a challenge (if you don’t have access to weights to add resistance) is by adding a pause somewhere in the range of motion. For example, slowly descend to the bottom of your split squat, pause for 3-5 seconds, then push off the front leg to come up. Repeat this and adjust pauses length as needed. If 3-5 second pauses aren’t doing the trick, another way to approach the exercise is by using an isometric hold. Isometric is a type of muscle contraction where the muscle fires with no visible movement taking place at the joint. This type of muscle contraction can be utilized by holding your position at the bottom or mid-range (or anywhere in between) of the split squat for a duration of time. A good place to start with these is 20-30s then work up from there. Pro tip: If you have to hold any longer than a minute for this to be challenging, then it might be time to try one of the other modifications below! 2. Change Tempo Something as simple as changing your tempo can change the way an exercise feels. Add a count to the exercise for example 5 (Mississippi) on the way down and 1 second (fast) on the way up. This will challenge you to demonstrate control on the way down and produce power on the way up. 3. Cluster Sets/ Myo Reps Cluster sets (or Myo reps as they are sometimes called) are one set broken into chunks. Typically they are used with a longer set with a heavy relative weight, allowing for more work to be done at a higher intensity. Most people don’t have the luxury of heavy weights at the moment, so luckily they can apply to home training as well. Pick a leg and do as many split squats as you can until you get very near or to failure. Rest 20 seconds and repeat the process until you’ve reached failure a total of 5 times. Congratulations, you’ve just completed a cluster set. Now repeat the same process on the opposite leg. 4. Elevate the Back Foot A great way to make any exercise more difficult is by taking away stability. Try elevating your back leg on your couch or a chair to force that front leg to work a little harder to balance. This is called a Bulgarian split squat, or rear foot elevated split squat... but Bulgarian split squat sounds way cooler. 5. Mechanical Drop Set First I’ll start by describing a drop set. Similar to cluster sets, when performing drop sets you will be working to failure. Instead of splitting up sets to complete at a higher resistance, the weight is dropped down consecutively after each set to allow for more work to be done in a shorter amount of time. A mechanical drop set follows the same framework but instead of changing out weights, you’re manipulating body position or leverage to make the exercise less intensive, allowing for more work to be done. An example of a mechanical drop set using the split squat is starting with Bulgarian split squats to or near failure, then immediately switching to regular standing split squats until or near failure as well. 6. Use Sliders On a hardwood or kitchen floor, small dish towels can be used as sliders. When added to our sample exercise, we’re technically exiting the realm of the split squat and doing more of a lunge, but this is an excellent way to add challenge to an exercise/ make it a little more fun. To perform a reverse lunge using a slider, place the towel under one foot and start in a standing position. Slide the foot with the towel under it back to lower yourself down. The bottom of your reverse lunge should look exactly like the bottom of a split squat. To come back up, push off your front leg and push your back leg into the towel to slide back up to the top. 7. Make it Plyometric Plyometrics, or plyos, are exercises involving movements like jumps, jump lunges, or med ball throws that utilize the stretch reflex, which is a quick muscle contraction in response to stretching of the muscle, aka the “bounce” you feel at the bottom of a squat or pushup. Generally, plyos are used when the goal is to increase muscular power, but in some circumstances are a great way to add cardio to your workout routine. See personal trainer Sara getting her jump on to the left. Get Creative These modifications are not limited to the split squat. Most of these can be used with a whole variety of exercises. Try swapping in some of these techniques into your home routine to make things more interesting!

By Isabella Lovett for Fit Planet Seasonal Affective Disorder – SAD – is not the same as the winter blues. So if you think you may be suffering, it’s important to treat it seriously. Read on and you’ll discover: · How to identify the difference between the winter blues and the depressive illness known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) · The types of exercise that best combat SAD · Facts about how light therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy affect SAD · Other activities that can alleviate the stress associated with SAD, including free access to mindfulness meditation sessions. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – a form of depressive illness related to the seasons, generally beginning in the fall and continuing throughout the winter – affects around 10 million people in the US and many more worldwide. But it’s important not to confuse SAD with the plain old winter blues, which everyone experiences at some time or other during the coldest, darkest months. To have genuine SAD, you’ll have experienced symptoms for two years running, including feeling constantly tired, spending longer in bed, increased appetite, lack of motivation and disturbed sleep. SAD tends to affect adults (especially those aged 18 to 30) more than children or teenagers (although this tends to decline after the age of 50). Women are significantly more likely than men to have SAD, possibly due to evolutionary influences on seasonal reproductive cycles. And it is most prevalent in northern latitudes where daylight hours are fewer. Exercise is a valuable tool in combating any form of stress, anxiety or depression; especially if you balance your intense cardio and strength classes with mindfulness-based exercises and activities like yoga and meditation. (Tweet this.) Common wisdom has it that simple exposure to more sunlight is the answer, as this will provide more vitamin D, but this may not be the total answer. Yes, as this study found, vitamin D deficiency can exacerbate SAD. Vitamin D may be involved in the production of feel-good neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine, and people who are depressed commonly have low vitamin D levels. However, it has not been established that low vitamin D levels are the main cause of SAD. Another study found that supplementation of vitamin D did not directly improve symptoms. And in places where winters are particularly long and dark, simply getting outside for some healing rays is not really an option. What is not in doubt is the value of exercise in combating any form of stress, anxiety or depression – including SAD. This is especially true if you balance your intense cardio and strength classes with mindfulness-based exercises and activities such as yoga and meditation. According to this research, for example, just 25 minutes of mindfulness meditation can significantly alleviate stress. If you’re new to this, there are now simple-to-use apps containing useful breathing and meditation sessions, some as short as five minutes. You can check out these sessions on Calm, Headspace or for free on LES MILLS On Demand. If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere you can get outdoors in winter, we now know that spending as little as 20 minutes in nature can lower stress hormone levels and boost mood. You can burn more calories jogging outdoors than on a treadmill (owing to the differences in the terrain and wind resistance). Unfortunately, some modern urban dwellers are spending up to 90 percent of their time indoors – so if all that’s keeping you from getting out more is a busy schedule, it’s probably time to rebalance this in favor of the mental and physical benefitsof being in nature. For those living in genuinely inhospitable places, or who find exercise and a healthy diet aren’t lifting them out of a SAD slump, there are various forms of therapy. Light therapy – which involves sitting or working near a “light therapy box” that emits bright light to mimics natural outdoor light – has been shown to work, as has cognitive therapy. One study of people being treated for SAD with cognitive behavioral therapy found only seven percent of participants experienced a recurrence of depression, compared to 36.7 percent of people treated with light therapy. The relapse rate was lowest when light therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy were combined (5.5 percent), suggesting a multifaceted approach may be the key to making a noticeable improvement when severe depression strikes. Anyone who feels they are suffering severely from SAD should, in the first instance, consult their health professional to determine the best treatment options. For the rest of us, getting out in nature and staying active will go a long way to letting a little sunshine into our lives. Isabella Lovett worked in healthcare before becoming a full-time health and wellness blogger and writer. This piece originally appeared on lesmills.com.

You’ve already completed the holiday body wash, lotion, and candle shopping spree. Maybe you even got wild and grabbed some boxes of assorted chocolates and gift cards to everyone’s favourite big-name retailer. These are the typical “I don’t know you that well, but I at least understand the human experience” presents. Do you want to move beyond the basics and be known as the ultimate gifter? Put down that novelty mug— please— and read on for the perfect assortment of presents for that health-conscious boss, your yogi cousin, and more. CLOTHES 1 • Yoga Pants… With POCKETS Sure, it’s possible to shove your phone into your bra or the waistband of your pants… but is it comfortable? (Go ahead. Ask this in the middle of a gym. The answer will be a resounding NO.) Give the gift of storage space. You’ll never see more excitement than a woman’s eyes lighting up as she says “ohmygod it has pockets.” Mila High-waisted Pocket Leggings | Fabletics | XXS-3X, Inseam Options | 2 for $24 ($54 regular) GD Fashion Women Yoga Leggings | Amazon | XS-XL | 24+ Colour Options | $25 Contrast Mesh Leggings w/ Phone Pocket | SHEIN | S-XL | $10 2 • Workout Sets Why does wearing a matching top + bottoms set feel so luxurious? Why do we suddenly feel like our life is together just because our leggings are the same color as our sports bra? We can't give you the psychology behind the feeling, just some recommendations. Fit Basic Mesh Panel Set | boohoo | 6-12 | $15 bbmee Yoga Outfits for Women 2 Piece Set | Amazon | S-L | $24.99 Vital Seamless Leggings and Top | Gymshark | XS-XL | $50 + $30 GEAR 3 • Glute Bands Somehow simultaneously the best and worst addition to your lower body workouts, resistance bands add... well, resistance to body-weight exercises. Great for that person always obsessing over Instagram influencers' booty workouts. ("I mean, have you seen Jen Selter?") GLUTE LOOP™ | Bret Contreras (The Glute Guy) | $20 Bala Booty Bands Set of 5 | Etsy | $19 Recredo Booty Bands, 3-pack | Amazon | $18.99 4 • Water Bottles Okay, to be fair, everyone drinks water. But going to the gym without a water bottle is almost sacrilege. You either end up with the driest mouth in the world, or you have to buy a plastic water bottle that 1. tastes weird and 2. is bad for Mother Earth. So save your friend some cash and the Earth some plastic, and check these reusable, BPA-free water bottles out. Embrava Sports Water Bottle w/ 1-click Open | Amazon | 32oz | $21.95 Vmini Water Bottle, New Straw Lid | Amazon | 32oz | $22.99 Takeya Actives Insulated Bottle w/ Insulated Spout Lid | Target | 18oz | $23.99 Brita Premium Filtering Water Bottle | Amazon | 26oz | $19.94 5 • And more... Some miscellaneous treats for the active loved one/acquaintance/secret snowflake who you absolutely need to shop for within the week because oh no Chanukah starts next Sunday and Christmas next Wednesday where'd the month go — A MEMBERSHIP Finally, if you know them well enough, treat them to a membership, a package of classes or personal training, or a gift certificate to the fitness center they frequent. We even have customizable holiday-themed cards for all you last-minute gifters. Shh.. we won't date it 😉 Gift Cards @ CAC The countdown begins! But now you have all the knowledge you need to grab the perfect present for your fitness-fanatic neighbor. Don't sweat it. (Until you get to the gym, of course.)

As we approach the holidays and the New Year, there tends to be a focus on goals: Should we have goals that span the holidays, or just enjoy being in the present? Have we met the resolutions we had set for ourselves for 2019? What goals are we looking towards for the upcoming New Year? Goals are great to have, both in and out of the club; BUT, they can also be overwhelming at times. They tend to be focused more on the future and on our hypothetical selves (who we will be after we meet those goals.) How do we balance goal-setting with consideration of our present selves and situations? This is where intentions come in handy! If goals are the desired outcomes to an actionable plan, intentions can be thought of as the starting point for that plan. For example, if your goal is to lose 1 pound of body fat, you might start with the intention to fuel your body with foods that make you feel good. This intention focuses on the positive. Without this mindset, though, you may instead decide to deprive yourself of all your favorite foods and count calories... only to find yourself binge-eating a pint of Ben & Jerry's at midnight. This leads to a spiral of guilt and self-deprecation, when your original goal was formed in order to feel better, not worse! If goals are something you want to accomplish and do, intentions are the way you want to feel and to be. We are human beings, and not human doers, after all. I often start or end my yoga classes at CAC asking everyone to think about or reflect on their intentions. Taking some time to get clear with what you want out of a session- whether yoga or lifting- can ultimately help you reach your goals. More importantly perhaps, intentions can allow you to live in the present moment with more joy, despite and not because of the variable outcomes of your goals. As you think about your goals this holiday season don't forget those daily intentions. It will bring more peace to your present, and your future self will thank you!

... and help us change the world for thousands of children. The funds we raise will help UNICEF to complete the Lega and Yelam Gej multi-village solar-powered water systems in the Amhara Region of Ethiopia. You can fundraise with us, donate now and join our movement to create a fitter planet. Every $450USD we raise will provide 12 children a lifetime of clean water. Click HERE to be directed to our fundraising page.