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Fitness Trail: Four great BOSU core training exercises

Jackie Wright
The Fitness Trail

There are literally dozens of great core training exercises available and performing a variety of these exercises regularly is suggested to achieve optimal muscular strengthening of the entire core. The BOSU Balance Trainer (BOSU = both sides up) is one of many fitness tools that we, as fitness professionals, utilize to provide our clients with additional challenges for the entire core, once they have mastered fundamental core training.

Add the following four great core training exercises to your exercise program two to three non-consecutive days/week, performing 1-2 sets of 8-12 repetitions where applicable, in the designed sequence and on the plank and superman versions, hold the position for 15-30 seconds and repeat once. As always, prior to beginning any exercise program, please consult your physician.

*Lay Outs – BOSU – seated on the top of the BOSU, slightly off the “bull’s eye”, position the hands on the BOSU a little behind the hips. Lift the legs off the floor, flexed at the knee joint approximately 90 degrees and then engaging the rectus abdominis (i.e. sheath of muscle running from the breast bone to the pubic bone) and the hip flexors, draw the knees toward the chest. Then lay back approximately 45 degrees with the torso as the legs extend out fully-think flex/extend torso. Be cautious not to move the body too far back to avoid hyperextension of the spine. *Trains entire nose to toes core. **If you are unable to master this exercise from the BOSU, attempt it from the floor and progress to the BOSU once mastered from the floor.



*Prone Decline Plank – feet on BOSU – kneel down on the floor with the BOSU behind you, place the balls of your feet on top of the BOSU by “tucking” the toes under, hands under shoulders and knees under hips, then engaging the entire core (top of head to toes), and lift the knees off the floor into a decline plank. *Trains the entire nose to toes core. **If unable to manage the decline position, turn around and place the hands/elbows on top of the BOSU and perform an incline plank with balls of feet on the floor.

*Lateral Flexion – BOSU – lying on your side on the BOSU with the superior portion of the hip on the BOSU. Place that bottom elbow on the floor with the forearm flat against the floor and the elbow directly under the shoulder. Stack the hips, top leg straight, bottom leg back approximately 45 degrees. Place the top fingers on the top ear. Engaging the lateral flexors of the torso, lift the torso from the floor sliding the rib cage toward the hip bone and fully extend the bottom arm. Avoid leading with the head. Look straight ahead and then lower all of the way back to the beginning bottom arm position. Repeat on the opposite side. *Trains the lateral flexors of the torso (i.e. serratus anterior, quadratus lumborum, internal obliques.



*Superman Flutter – lying prone on a BOSU balancing the body top/bottom, arms/legs fully extended, lifting from the floor just to shoulder/hip height. Hold this position for 30” or you may hold and add the flutter of arms and legs as though you are swimming. *Trains the entire nose to toes core.

Jackie Wright is the owner/manager of Mountain Life Fitness, LLC located in Granby. She may be reached at her website at http://www.mtnlifefitness.com, her email at jackie@mtnlifefitness.com and her Facebook page at Mountain Life Fitness.


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