Can I improve my core in 6 weeks?

[ilovecherries]

Ok, I do realise it’s actually a commitment for life, but I do give up on things if I don’t see early results, so I reckon I could focus initially for 6 weeks. My core is shot - bad accident, loads of surgery, was very fat for a long time (no longer an issue though). I live in quite literally the back of beyond, the nearest Pilates teacher is 40 miles away, and I just know I wouldn’t go, especially in winter. So first of all - could I see an improvement in 6 weeks - just enough to keep me motivated - and secondly, wtf do I actually do? I run three times a week, but that’s easy to do, but actual exercises scare me. Help me get started on gorgeous abs (and being able to get out of a chair without using my arms )

The plank and Pilates...
Learning to do the plank is not easy - but it’ll strengthen your core fantastically.
You can feel all the muscles making their way back to their ‘proper home’

have you tried kayla itsines BBG? It's really good for core and overall strength and you can do it at home

If your core is weak and/or you have diastasis recti (lots of info about this, and how to check yourself, on the MuTu system website) then planking really isn’t the place to start.

I’ve been doing Pilates classes for a couple of years and still can’t plank. Well I can, but not for long without hurting my back.

I really do recommend finding a good teacher because it’s SO easy to do it wrong when you’re at home trying to do the exercises yourself. Not just wrong in terms of not engaging the right muscles, but wrong as in really hurting your joints and your back.

I have no patience either, but I think it’s unrealistic to expect noticeable results in six weeks. For me, I love to go because it means I don’t have to put my kids to bed on a Monday night. So I’m skipping out of the door no matter how cold it is and how tired I am. Sometimes you can find motivation in unexpected places

I don’t really mean noticeable in terms of how I look, more in how I’m starting to feel, I guess. I’ve got some upper body surgery in a few weeks, and I realised that my previous strategy since my accident of using my arms to propel myself out of a chair/bed is not going to be viable. I’ve been doing that wall walk thing religiously all weekend though, just for a few minutes several times a day. I’m also trying to be more conscious of what’s going on round my middle all the time, rather than letting it all hang out. There is unfortunately no chance of classes till after my surgery.

Ilove, being aware of your core/middle, and how it is when you move, is brilliant. We all have muscles there, so using them properly makes such a difference.
Keep going, I bet you’ll be getting in and out of bed/chair, easier, sooner than you think.

Hope the op goes well.

Fitnessblender on youtube

A colleague of mine swears by a weighted hula hoop. This reminds me I should start having a go with the one I subsequently bought, and then immediately forgot about because I got pregnant.

Right. I'm inspired, too. Thanks all!

I've been doing Pilates for years now and it has changed my life, it's just so much easier to do everything when you're stronger and more flexible. I have osteoarthritic degeneration of the spine but with a weekly Pilates class I'm completely pain free. I really noticed in the summer when the classes stopped for a few weeks and my back started to twinge again. I have one of Darcey Bussel's DVDs and it's pretty gentle and relaxing - perfect for beginners and she has a wonderfully soothing voice. Cherries it's well worth going to a class if you can because the instructor will make sure your form is correct - once you've learned the basics then you could continue at home with YouTube or DVDs if you can't keep making it to classes. The biggest advantage of an instructor is that they will amend exercises around any area of weakness or suggest alternatives.

Great thread. Ill be trying out some of those exercises too

And thanks also for the positivity. I half expected to be told that if I’d let myself go to that extent, that i was a lost cause

I'll second that. Thanks for starting this thread, cherries.

Pilates is great as it makes you aware of your posture, even outside class, and you get a stronger core.

A combination of pilates and cardio sees me in better shape in my late 40s than I was mid thirties

Love it. But it is not a quick fix, it takes time...

Following for ideas :-)