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СWorking on the core muscles is not only essential for good looks, but also for your health. In this article, we will talk about core muscles and how to develop them. So without any further ado, let us begin. Core Muscles: What Do They Consist of? To put it simply, core muscles consist of two main groups, which are central and peripheral. The central muscles resemble a sac that protects internal organs by covering the abdominal cavity. In other words, we need these muscles to keep the vital organs safe. In fact, if we didn’t have these muscles, a slight kick in the abdominal area would cause significant damage to vital organs. Central muscles can be divided into several parts, which are: Front - abs Lateral parts - oblique muscles and the surrounding muscles Back - the muscles that support the spine Upper wall - diaphragm Lower wall - pelvic floor muscles The second group of core muscles, the peripheral muscle group, consists of the trapezius, the latissimus dorsi muscle, the pectoralis muscle, the buttocks, and the muscles of the shoulder girdle. These muscles are essential for our posture and back health, which means that developing those is rather important for everyone who wants to be healthy and look beautiful. Both central and peripheral core muscle groups are extremely significant for our health, posture, as well as the way we look. Therefore, in the next paragraph, we are going to talk about the best exercises for strengthening these muscles. Best Workouts for Strengthening Core Muscles So we made it pretty clear that developing core muscles is important for pretty much everyone. So what exercises can you do to strengthen these muscles? Well, here they come: High plank Supine toe tap Hollowman Bird Dog Crunches Bicycle crunch Superman Warrior crunch Supine leg lifts Elbow to knee Bridge Mountain climber V-sit V-ups Side plank Plank shoulder taps Turkish get-up Elbow plank twists As you can see, there are many workouts that will no doubt help you develop core muscles and eventually become healthy and fit. So why don’t you grab your fitness mat and try at least some of these useful exercises to see their effectiveness yourself? Wrapping Up Not only are core muscles essential for beautiful abs, but also rather important for your back health and posture. Furthermore, these muscles protect your internal organs, which is a pretty important feature. Therefore, if you regularly train but you always avoid core exercises thinking they are not as important as the workouts for your legs or arms, you better stop doing that because core muscles are perhaps the most important muscle group in your body.

After the abdominal muscles are prepared, the obliques are the next step. The obliques are several groups of abdominal muscles on either side of the main body. The external obliques are at the top and the internal obliques are at the bottom. Training them with functional exercises includes flexion, twisting, and other rotational movements. In order to properly exercise the lateral muscles, however, it is important to remember that most oblique exercises also involve the other abdominal muscles, especially the medial transverse muscles. Therefore, you need to engage certain areas of the abdominal abs in a conscious manner. Lateral twists The basic exercise for the abdominal obliques is the lying lateral twist. Begin with lying on your side with your arm bent at the elbow to support your head. Extend the elbow toward the leg slowly, performing a purposeful contraction of the abdominal obliques. Prone lateral push-ups This exercise is fine for developing the neuromuscular links between the abs and the brain. Lying on the back, pull your left elbow in a slow tempo towards the opposite knee. Perform 12-15 reps on each side, and try to achieve a special burning feeling. Lateral push-ups on a fitness ball The advantage of this exercise is that you achieve a wide range of motion by bending your body slowly and controlling each movement over the ball. As you lift, feel your side abdominals twist and stretch as you descend. Place your arms behind your neck and do not move them apart. Cross contacts Make sure that your legs are straightened up while you are lying on your back. Place your hands on the back of your head and lift your head and shoulder blades slightly. Then do a twisting motion, extending your legs with the opposite arm straight. Perform the same movement for the other side. Repeat at least 20 times. Lift your hips Make sure you are lying straight on one side. Your feet should be lying on top of each other and your free arm fixed at the waist. You need to lift your torso so that your body line is completely straight at peak amplitude. At the apex, pause briefly to emphasize the work of the obliques. As you lower your torso, your thighs are only gently touching the ground and the muscles are not fully relaxed. Developed obliques provide the framework for your abs and make them look amazing, so if you really want to have a great abdomen, you should work both your abs and obliques.

Many people want to have beautiful thighs. Unfortunately, to keep them in good shape requires long and hard work. Here are some exercises that are sure to help you work out your thighs. Cross Lunges This deep stretch will improve your thighs and give you energy. Spread your legs and point your feet outward. Bending your knees, lower yourself into a squat position. Put the palms on your hips above your knees to deepen the squat and stretch further. Jump up and put your feet in front of each other, straightening and crossing your legs as you land. Get back to the position from the start and repeat the actions with the opposite leg. Repeat this exercise as many times as possible, alternating between the two legs, for at least 40 seconds. Knee Squats Knee squats together are better to strengthen the inner thighs, quads, and hamstrings than regular squats. And to avoid wasting time, you can work your arms at the same time. Stand up straight with your feet together. Pick up some dumbbells, bend your arms at the elbows, and bring them into contact with your shoulders. Perform squats with your knees bent and your hips pulled back as if you were going to sit on a chair. Keep your feet together throughout the exercise holding the weight on your heels. Now extend your arms upward. Return to the start without transferring the weight to your toes. Do 10 repetitions. Elbow Plank Leg Lift Add leg lifts to the regular elbow plank to improve hip work. Lie on your side, and bend your right arm at the elbow leaning on it. Stretch your leg so that your body is in a straight line. Try to lean only on the outer edge of your right leg. Place your left hand on your hip. Feel your spine stretching and the tension in your abs, then raise your left leg slightly to your hip. Slowly put it back down. Without bending at the waist or leaning on your shoulders, place the weight on your elbows. Do about 15 reps on both sides. Leg bend swing This is one of the most popular exercises for strengthening the hips and thighs. It is suitable for everyone, requires no additional equipment, and does not involve the spine. This combination works the posterior, anterior, lateral, and medial thighs. Start doing the plank with your palms under your shoulders and your knees under your pelvis, keeping your back in position. As you exhale, push up on your heels; do 20 reps on each leg for four sets. Side push-ups If this is your first time doing this exercise, you don't need any dumbbells - learn the leg movements first. Holding a dumbbell in your right hand, run hard to the left and place your right hand onto your right leg. Lower your hips as far as you can and lean on your heels. Point your toes forward and bend your leg at a 90-degree angle. Push off with your left foot and get into a courtesy position: left foot back, right foot forward. Raise your arms with weights upward, pointing your feet up. Keep your hips and legs tense. Do not return to the start for the repetitions, but go straight from squat to side position. Perform three sets of 10 reps each, then switch sides. Final Words If you know that beautiful thighs are a reality and you have these exercises, then why not try and make your body better?

Sooner or later, every athlete gets injured, especially runners, and most injuries occur in the ankle joint, the medial and lateral parts of the foot. What are the possible causes? Too much training, weight, and the distance you are running. It may be too hard on your feet because we have been walking in shoes all our lives and most of us lead a 'lazy life' and that's why your ankles and feet don't develop properly. So if one day you just start running a lot of miles, your foot muscles will be overloaded leading to all kinds of injuries and inflammation. Obviously, you need to train your feet in order to be able to do any exercise safely and without any impact on your health. So, let's take a quick look at some exercises for your feet muscles. Warm-up exercises Sit down and focus on your toes. Lift your big toe up. At the same time, press the remaining 4 toes toward the ground. Hold this position for 5 seconds. Now hold your thumb and lift the other 4 toes. Hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 10 times for each foot. Knot Take a medium-thick rope, about one meter long. Put the rope on the floor and sit on a chair in front of it. Use your toes to clasp the ends of the rope. Try to tie a knot. Do the exercise for 5 minutes. Note: This is a difficult exercise. Knee Writing Place a piece of paper on the floor. Sit in a chair and put one foot on the paper. Hold the pen with your thumb and index finger. Try to write any word, such as 'mom'. Do this exercise for at least 3-5 minutes. Note: This exercise is very difficult. Do the exercise for 3-4 minutes. Rolling Style Sit in a chair keeping your back straight. Place a tennis ball under your feet. Roll the ball back and forth. Don't forget to keep your back straight. Do this exercise for 2-3 minutes. Repeat with the other leg. Towel Sit on a chair and place a towel under your feet. Grasp the towel with your toes. Your heels should be flat on the floor. Bend and unclench your toes and slowly pull the towel toward you. Switch feet and repeat the exercise. Perform 2 sets of 10 repetitions. You can perform more if you want. Toe Lift This exercise can be performed anywhere, even in the office when you are working at your desk. Sit with your feet flat on the floor. Raise your toes so that the arch of your foot is curved. Slowly lower your toes, keeping the arch of your foot so that you feel the tension in the arch of your foot. Hold this position for 5 seconds, then relax your foot. Repeat for each foot 5 times. Having strong legs will allow you to perform many exercises safely, so don't underestimate leg training and do it at least a few times a week.

Sure, everyone familiar with running knows the importance of strengthening the foot and ankle ligaments. The other thing is that sometimes it's hard to spend 5-10 minutes preparing for ankle exercises: we get dressed, lace up our shoes and run down the street. This is unfortunate. After all, good elastic ligaments can reduce the risk of leg pain. And strong ankle muscles can improve lower back and even shoulder strength when you're running or just walking. Of course, there are plenty of good exercises to help you strengthen your ankles, so without further ado, let's take a look. Stretching Sit on the floor and straighten your leg in front of you. It's important to make sure your big toe, little toe, and heel stay in the same direction as you extend your foot. Only then the muscles will be strengthened and stretched in a balanced manner so that you don't walk and run with your foot falling out or in. While pulling your foot apart, stretch your toes as much as possible, as if you were lengthening them, without tucking them under your feet. Repeat 15 times. Rolling Pose From a seated position, place your feet in front of you and bring your feet as close to yourself as possible. Spread your knees and keep your feet together. Keeping your feet in this position, place your hands on the floor, bend your body forward and lift your pelvis off the floor and try to stay in this position for a while. If you feel your potential, you can roll to the left and to the right, touching your feet with the palms of your hands. Rising and falling Exercise It is traditionally recommended to do these on a ladder, but doing them slowly on a flat surface will give good results. Raise your toes as high as you can, keeping your heels in the air, then bend your knees so your heels are forward. Place your heel on the floor and then straighten your leg. It is very important to make sure your knees and ankles don't flip or drop. Dumbbell Squats Deep squats are good for developing the ankles, and when combined with dumbbells or barbells (if you have trained enough), this exercise is even more effective. Start with dumbbells that you can lift 15 times without dropping to the floor. 2-3 kg is suitable for beginners. Bodybuilders need to lift more weight to develop their leg muscles. Make a deep squat as follows: stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms at your sides, holding a dumbbell, or if you are doing the exercise with a barbell, place it in front of your chest or behind your head. Sit down with your knees bent and your hips on the floor. Keeping your back straight, squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Keep your knees straight over your feet at all times and do not extend your knees further than your toes. Return to the starting position. Perform 2 sets of 10-15 squats each. Lunges Keeping your torso straight and your shoulders back, step forward and sit until both knees are at a 90-degree angle. Your knees should not protrude over your toes. Do a series of two on each leg and repeat 10 times. Final Words Strengthening your ankles is crucial for professional and amateur athletes alike, so whether sports are your life or you're just exercising to stay healthy, in is necessary to work on your ankles.