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Posts Tagged ‘core’
Thursday, August 12th, 2010
 Q: Hi Tanja, I’m 36 and had a child four years ago. My stomach is less than toned now than two years ago and I’m a thin, petite person. Besides yoga, hiking, and jogging (once a week) and cardio videos, what would you recommend? I am aware that diet has its positive health benefits, too. Thanks.
– Heather
A: Dear Heather, Thank you for your question! Congratulations on being a healthy mom!! For many, there is always a little stretchy skin that remains after having a baby but, that said, everyone is different when it comes to the elasticity of the skin.
I think strength training could be a great new thing for you to explore, and with that a lot of core and abdominal work based on Pilates. In this way you will strengthen the abdominal structures from the inside out, so to speak. Balance Ball ab work is great for that (click the video preview link for my 8 Minute Ball Workout). Also, Ana Caban has great Pilates DVDs through Gaiam!!
Of course, diet as you know is crucial here!! If you want tips on how to recharge and restructure, refer to my 10-Week Transformation here on the blog! It might help you on the way. 
Best,
Tanja
Do you have a question? Don’t be shy – ask it here!
Tags: abs, Ana Caban, baby weight, balance ball, core, DVDs, Gaiam, Pilates, stomach, strength training
Posted in Ask Tanja, Fitness | No Comments »
Thursday, January 14th, 2010
 How are your New Year’s fitness goals coming along? Are you working on your core? Today, I would like to share one of the best core exercises I know, which is a plank/back extension.
Lie face down on the floor, and extend your arms over your head. Now lift your arms and legs into a back extension and contract all muscles in the back of your body. Make sure your head is facing down. Hold for 5-10 seconds.
Now bring your hands to chest height on the floor and raise your body up slowly in a triceps push-up, also known as a Chaturanga in yoga. When your arms are extended, add an abdominal crunch. Hold for 5-10 seconds.
Mind your breath and stay aligned with your tailbone tucked under and belly button pulled in towards your spine.
Repeat 10-15 times, and you will have a full-body, core-based exercise, strengthening and stabilizing your entire body.
Tags: back extension, core, plank, yoga
Posted in Fitness | 1 Comment »
Monday, November 16th, 2009
It’s time to hit the weights and get into some serious resistance training and stretching! The two go together like peanut butter and jelly (the low-cal version, of course ).
A few days ago, a dear friend of mine, and an amazing nutrition coach who also works with my clients, called me up with a worried voice. She explained that she had started weight training with a trainer about six weeks ago, and now she actually felt worse about her body shape and had experienced no significant weight loss. “Am I doing the right thing?” she asked. “Why is this not working?”
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Tags: balance ball, body weight, core, resistance, stretching, weights, yoga
Posted in 10-Week Transformation, Body-Mind Health, Fitness | No Comments »
Thursday, November 12th, 2009
Fall is here! It’s the season of dramatic color and chilly nights. In the colder and darker areas of the country, the decrease in sunlight signals our bodies that it’s time to hibernate. (California might not experience it to the same extent but trust me, we feel it here, too.) It can be difficult to find motivation, but slowing down is not necessarily an obstacle, just merely a bump in the road on our long and exciting journey to a healthier body and lifestyle.
A big part of living a healthy life is listening to what the body needs, and accepting the changes it goes through. Let’s invite some new movement to play with, to get the body going and the mind motivated again. Here are a few things I have seen lately, which bring the fun into staying fit…
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Tags: abs, body weight, cardio, core, flexibility, fun, hula hoops, motivation, movement, resistance, spinning, suspension training, TRX, yoga
Posted in Body-Mind Health, Fitness | 1 Comment »
Monday, July 20th, 2009
 The core is an essential part of your physical strength and stability. You can also consider it to be the essence of the inner you, the place where you build inner strength and create the energy you use. This Powerhouse or Cradle is the initiator of any physical event your muscles experience or express. The muscles involved here are the ones that support the back and access the deeper abdominals, not just the six pack. A basketball player who has good core control can jump higher, shoot farther, and run faster. The same theory holds true for any sport.
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Tags: balance ball, core, energy, inner strength
Posted in Fitness | 2 Comments »
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