IRONMAN Triathlete, Sarah Piampiano shares her indoor Core & Mobility workout.
As much of the world is hunkering down into various forms of quarantine, there is a general feeling of uneasiness that persists. There is a lot of stress around the unknown, the inability to control the outcome, the financial impact, and the inherent cabin fever. There are so many things that may be leaving us feeling a bit paralyzed and helpless.
But there are things you can do to ease this stress. It is important to form a routine in our “new normal” and stick to it. In the same way that we normally get up and get ready to go to work every day, it is important to wake up at the same time every morning, to start the day with intent, to get dressed, to make a schedule and goals, to eat well, hydrate, and move.
Movement plays a big part in helping to alleviate emotional stress. By incorporating a daily movement routine, it will do wonders for your mental health, your physical health, and your overall immune system.
Below is a great workout to do 3-4 times per week at home. I do some form of mobility and core on a daily basis in my training and include most of these exercises. It takes no more than 30 minutes, does not require any equipment other than a chair, and incorporates many aspects of core work and mobility. I’ve included YouTube links in the title of each exercise for you to look at for guidance.
At Home 30-minute Core and Mobility Session
Warm-Up
These warm-up exercises are great to improve range of motion and rotation.
5 Minutes:
- Body Weight Squats - 10 Body weight squats
- Reverse Lunge and Side Bend - 5 each side
- Forward Lunge with Rotation - 5 each side
- Walkouts - 5 total
- Open Books - 6 each side
Main Set 1
This set provides a nice mix of mobility (pec and quad stretch) with core, hamstring, glute, and quad activation.
3 Rounds Each of:
- Pec Stretch - 1 minute each side
- Bear Crawl Forward and Back - 15-20 feet in each direction if possible
- Bear Crawl Lateral - 15-20 feet in each direction if possible
- Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat - 8-10 each side; Make it harder by adding dumbbells or kettlebells, as you feel is appropriate
- Kneeling Quad Stretch - 1 minute each side
- Hamstring Bridge - 30 seconds to 1 minute hold
Main Set 2
This set continues with the theme of partnering mobility with activation. The Cobras are wonderful mobility exercises, and then Dead bug and side plank are excellent core complements. Calf raises and single-leg squats help build strength and balance.
3 Rounds Each of:
- Single-Leg Calf Raises - 10-20 each side
- Single-Leg Squat into Chair - 5-10 each side (Note: if you are having trouble getting all the way down, add a towel or two to the chair to bring the depth up a bit)
- Cobras - hold for 1minute (Note: Make sure to relax your glutes and low back)
- Dead Bug - 10 each side (Note: Make sure not to let your back arch at all - you want to keep it flat to the ground. If your back starts to arch, do not bring your leg all the way down - only go so far as to keep your back flat)
- Side Plank - Hold for 30 seconds each side, and then work up to 1 minute each side over time.
I love this session as it can be done anywhere you go, helps activate and strengthen key muscle groups, and places a nice focus on mobility.
Good luck and enjoy!
