America’s favorite past time, & Fab Abs!
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/opening_day/odschedule.php?t=DET
History is a beautiful thing. This time of year is one of our favorites, especially for all of us baseball fans. And if you are a Detroiter? Even better. Comerica park is a GREAT place to see a game, also perfect for taking a walk around the park. Getting your steps in, (remember, 150 minutes of exercise per week is recommended for base line health and fitness) is always more fun when you are outside and with friends. The weather is getting warmer, love it or hate it- daylight savings time rolls through, March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, and then there is this:
OPENING DAY!
New York Yankees play Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park
Fri, Apr 8, 2016 1:08 pm
Not going to the game? No worries. We can learn a lot from this sport in terms of our fitness. Baseball players need to have speed, agility, quickness, power, and extraordinary core and upper body strength. Perhaps you don’t care about SAQ ( speed agility and quickness) and you don’t even play any sports at all… but know this:
A strong core is essential to athletes and non athletes alike, to improve our activities of daily living. All movement starts from the core.
Here is a great little opening day CORE workout:
~ Warm up with some gentle cat/cow yoga stretches to rhythmically limber the lumbar area. Start in table top position with knees under hips and hands under shoulders. Do 20 reps. Next do some bird dogs. In kneeling position extend right arm in front, while simultaneously lifting the left leg behind. Alternate sides. Keep body still, core engaged. Do 2o reps . Repeat both. The series below alternates between prone and supine( face down and face up) with side plank work thrown in for optimal balance. Do the next series with as little rest in between and work up to 2-4 rounds
- FOREARM PLANK HOLD- 1 minute
- JACK KNIFE V UP Sit-ups- 1 minute ( regression/modification tuck sit-ups
- TALL PLANK HOLD ( on hands) add JJ with feet- 1 minute
- ROLL LIKE A BALL to Stand-up- 1 minute
- PLANK > FOREARM PLANK > BACK TO HANDS -alternate down R, down L, up, R, up L- 1 minute
- Repeat #2
- TALL PLANK add mountain climbers- 1 minute
- Repeat #4
- TALL PLANK TO SIDE PLANK, alternate flipping to right and left sides- 1 minute
- PILATES CRISS CROSS- Lying on back, alternate (with control) right elbow to left knee, 1 minute
Make sure you stretch out afterwards. I recommend sitting on a stability ball doing a forward fold to gently stretch the spine, and then lying backwards over the ball to open the heart and stretch out the abs.
As always, consult your physician before you start any exercise program and get with an experienced certified trainer to safely show you proper regressions, progressions, and modifications.
Oh, and if you are going to the game? Check out the Tigers website for more info and tix at: www.detroittigers.com. Singing, ” Take me out to the ball game!”
PLAY BALL!
