This week’s workout, Seated Medicine Ball Trunk Rotations, focuses on working your abdominal muscles. It is a fairly easy exercise, and if you find it to be one that you want to continue, you can easily make it more challenging by using a heavier medicine ball. For the purpose of just starting out, we recommend using a 1-2 pound medicine ball. This exercise requires you to also focus on deep breathing as a way to engage your core muscles.
How to do it:
- Start by sitting on the floor, knees bent, heels on the floor and feet together.
- Sit up as straight as you can. If you find this to be uncomfortable or tight in your back and legs, try sitting on a cushion or pillow.
- Hold the medicine ball in front of your body. The bottom of the medicine ball should be in line with your belly button.
- Slowly rotate your torso to one side. As you rotate, exhale and contract your ab muscles.
- Take a brief pause, inhale, and then rotate to the opposite direction. As you rotate, exhale and contract your ab muscles.
- Repeat the movement back and forth.
Tips
- Keep the medicine ball up and prevent it from dropping to the floor.
- To effectively contract your ab muscles, imagine that you are pulling your belly button in towards your spine.
We hope you’ll try seated medicine ball trunk rotations and then build this exercise into your daily routine Monday through Friday of the coming week.
Want more fitness ideas? If you’re a Health Advocate member with access to the wellness coaching component of our Wellness Program, reach out to your Wellness Coach to get more healthy ideas to get—and stay—fit. And remember, talk to your doctor before beginning any new fitness regimen.
