Get in a core-strengthening circuit in the comfort of your living room with just an exercise ball.

Finding Fitness: Abdominal exercises to help strengthen your core

A quick workout that you can do anywhere

By Evan GorrKENOSHA.COM

Gorr is a registered nurse with a background in fitness and nutrition. The Kenosha native hopes to help local residents find a path to wellness with the knowledge he's gained from personal experience and research. Gorr is a loving husband and father of two.

Hello guys, welcome back to another glimpse into easy ways you can make your life a healthier and more active one.

In this week’s “Finding Fitness,” we are going to be talking about some easy abdominal combos you can do at home to help strengthen your core. We are also going to be looking at multivitamins and some good things to look for when shopping for them.

Most people look at fitness models and immediately strive for that perfect core – abs that are rippled and look perfect at the beach or poolside.

Sadly, that is a tough physique to accomplish and the way to perfect abs is usually diet related. But, fear not! Strong abs are essential and should not be left out of any productive training regimen.

Evan Gorr demonstrates an ab wheel.

I will go over a few of my favorite core exercises in hopes that you find one that works. One of my favorite ab exercises is a very common one – the crunch. It is important that for this exercise you keep your lower back planted to the ground and try to pull your upper body toward your knees, focusing on contracting your abs rather than lifting your upper body off the floor.

Another great exercise is hanging leg lifts. Start by trying to do some reps with your knees bent and bringing your thighs up and as close to the core as possible. Then, once you have gained some strength, leave your legs extended and pull them up in front of you. You will feel the burn!

Finally, give an ab wheel a try. I know I have referenced them before, but they are an amazing way to strengthen your core as well as work on balance and shoulder mobility. A good place to start is by rolling the wheel as far ahead of you as you comfortably can before wheeling back to the starting position. 

Multivitamins

When looking on the internet for good multivitamins, lets be honest, it can be a daunting task. There are so many different companies claiming theirs to be the “best.”

Hopefully I can help make the choice a little easier. Whenever I am choosing a supplement, I look for the facts that back up the product, not just claims. You want to see the ingredients and the dosing of those ingredients.

Companies like to put fillers in or just use the cheapest ingredients to make it seem like more is better. Usually that is not the case. My personal favorite brand is Legion Athletics multivitamin: Triumph. All the ingredients listed have excellent explanations on why they are included, and they are totally transparent with all of their supplements. I would give them a look if you are in the market. Use their explanations as a guide for shopping.

That concludes another quick and easy way to improve your health and hopefully improve your day. Next week I will be diving into easy ways to stay motivated for exercising. Have an incredible week and never give up! 

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