3 Tips for New Year’s Exercise Resolutions
As the new year arrives, it’s time to start making some resolutions! Whether you want to lose weight, gain some muscle, or something else entirely, we’re here to help you start your year off on the right foot with 3 powerful exercise tips!
Tip #1: Focus on Your Core
No matter what your exercise goal may be, a strong core will help you achieve it. The core muscles are those that surround the spine and trunk. Generally, the following muscles are considered part of the core:
- Rectus abdominis (the “6-pack” muscle),
- The obliques (the muscles on the side of the trunk),
- Transversus abdominis (a muscle underneath the rectus abdominis),
- Various back muscles such as the multifidi (tiny muscles on the side of the spine).
While performing exercises such as sit-ups and “bird-dogs” will work many of these core muscles, they can also be emphasized with nearly any type of movement. Squats, pushups, and all sorts of other common exercises require strong core muscles and can benefit from improved strengthening.
If you’re having any pain or difficulty performing an exercise, it may be due to weak core muscles. See your chiropractor for an exercise program tune-up to make sure your core is strong and stable!
Tip #2: Perfect Your Pushups
The pushup is one of the most beneficial exercises in existence. In fact, if you were only going to do a few exercises for the rest of your life, pushups should be one of them!
But it’s not enough to just do pushups, your pushups need to be perfect. If they aren’t, you risk injuring your shoulders, back, wrists, or other areas of your body.
Here’s how you do the absolute perfect pushup, with step by step directions:
- Start with your hands and toes on the ground.
- Your hands should be directly underneath your shoulders, and your feet should be about hip-width apart.
- Keeping your back perfectly straight, lower yourself down very slowly.
- You should attempt to touch your chest lightly to the ground at the bottom of the movement, then begin to push yourself back into the starting position.
- Repeat the movement for as many reps as you can with good form.
There are a few things you want to watch out for while performing pushups. All of the following are common issues with pushups and ones that should be avoided in order to perform effective, safe pushups:
- By keeping your core muscles strong, you’ll prevent any “sagging” in your low back.
- Keep your elbows close to your sides throughout the movement. Allowing your elbows to “flare out” will put excess stress on your shoulders and can put you at higher risk for injury.
- Don’t try to do too many reps. Once you feel yourself losing form, don’t go for more! You can slowly increase your reps over time, but you don’t want to hurt yourself by trying to do too much too fast.
These perfect pushup tips will improve your form in no time!
Tip #3: Squat Your Way to Success
I mentioned in the last section that pushups are one of the most important and versatile upper body exercises in existence. When it comes to the lower body, squats are similarly crucial for healthy living.
Keep the following squat tips in mind during your next workout:
- Keep your chest up and back straight as you perform the movement.
- Point your toes forward (or very slightly out to the side) throughout your squats.
- Don’t attempt to squat too deep! If you aren’t able to keep your back straight and your legs stable, you’ve gone too far.
Need some help with your exercise goals? Book your appointment today with your Noblesville chiropractor at Anchor Health Chiropractic!
We’ll help you kick off your new year by providing you with the best exercise plan possible!
