If you suffer from back pain — or want to avoid it altogether, you’ll need to strengthen your core.

Strengthening your core is what allows you to do those everyday tasks (i.e. carrying the groceries, bending over to pick something you dropped, moving boxes, etc) and not get hurt doing them.

Plus, strengthening your core will give you better posture and keep you mobile well into your “Golden years.”

Here are three exercises you can do everyday (best of all, you can do them in as little as 12 minutes!):

Superman – Lie on your stomach. Stretch both your arms out in front of you. Make sure both your legs are straight behind you. To do a rep, lift your head, chest, arms and legs off the ground. You’ll feel your lower back tighten. When doing it correctly, you’ll look like Superman flying through the air. Hold this position for 3 – 5 seconds. Now go back to the starting position. Repeat 10 times.

Plank — Lie face down. Now get into a pushup position. Lower your forearms so that they are touching the floor. Keep your legs straight behind your. Only your forearms and toes should be touching the ground at this point. Now tense your abs and keep your back straight. Hold this position for 10 – 20 seconds. Repeat 5 – 10 times.

Side Plank- To do these, lie down on your right side. Now bend your right elbow, palm facing down. Put your left leg on top of your right and make sure they’re stretched out. Now lift your body (like you did in the plank) except this time, all that should be touching the floor is your right forearm and right toes. Stretch your left hand out towards the ceiling. Hold for 10 – 20 seconds. Repeat 5 times and then do the same on the left side.

Don’t worry if you can’t do all three exercises as outlined here at first. If all you can do is one rep, that’s fine.

Gradually build up. But most importantly, make sure you do these exercises every day to build a strong core that’ll help you relieve back pain, prevent future injuries and keep you walking taller.

Strengthening your core is just one of many things you should be doing to keep yourself fit and healthy.

Want a slimmer waistline in a few weeks’ time?

It’s certainly possible. And easier than you may have hought.

When it comes to losing that bulge around the middle, most of the advice you’ve probably heard is completely wrong.

It’s not surprising. There are quite a few myths out there when it comes to getting a flat stomach.

For example:

• “You’ve got to do 100s of crunches to lose that belly”
• “You need to diet (i.e. starve yourself)”
• “All you need is XYZ brand’s diet pill.”
• “Do hours on end of traditional low-intensity cardio, like walking on the treadmill.”

The truth is that it’s not that complicated to lose your abdominal fat.

Here’s all you need to know:

Eat right. This means eating properly to fuel your body, boost your metabolism and burn more fat. Avoid all junk foods, including fried foods, soft drinks and heavily processed foods. Stick to foods that have one or two ingredients max. That means good protein sources (like chicken, fish and eggs), plenty of fruits and vegetables, and healthy fats (nuts, olive oil, flaxseed oil, avocados, etc.) Also, try to eat 4 – 6 small meals evenly spaced throughout your day.

Train with weights. This one’s a given. Train 3 – 4 times per week. Focus mainly on compound movements. This means the “tough” exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, barbell rows, etc. These are effective at building muscle and priming your metabolism to burn fat like nobody’s business. Plus, these kinds of exercises are more functional and will provide the strength you need to go about your day-to-day life.

Do cardio smartly. Once you’re eating healthy and working out with weights, it’s time to add in a little cardio. But not the kind of cardio you see everyone else at the gym do. The goal isn’t to see how long you last walking on the treadmill. Instead, you’re going to do High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

Simply put, this means alternating between all-out exertion and resting. For example, if you’re on the treadmill, you’d warm up for the first 2 minutes, then sprint as fast as you can for 1 minute. Then rest the next minute. Do this for 9 more sets of 1 minute exertion followed by 1 minute rest. Doing cardio this way burns more calories in less time, since you’re “upping” the intensity factor.

So there you have it. Follow these three tips starting today and you’re bound to lose some belly fat before Summer’s out.

Try something new. Now that the weather is warmer and the days are longer, why not add an exciting new outdoor activity or sport, such as inline skating, mountain biking, tennis, basketball, surfing, or climbing to your exercise program?  With all of the options available, there is no excuse for allowing yourself to become stuck in a comfortable rut this summer.  Use your imagination.  Buy a new pair of walking shoes or dust off your bike and explore uncharted territory.  Join a softball team or running club.  If there is no club in your area, start one.

Engaging in several different types of sports, exercises, and activities on a regular basis (sometimes defined as cross training) can add excitement and variety to your exercise program.  Cross training also increases the odds that you will be working different muscle groups and varying the amount of aerobic and anaerobic exercise that you obtain on a regular basis.  Significantly increasing your level of physical activity not only improves the efficiency of your cardiovascular system, but also increases muscle tone and metabolic rate, making it easier for your body to burn fat, even while you sleep!

Clean up your diet and clean out your pantry. Start taking time to read food labels and increase your nutritional awareness by becoming better informed.  Throw away the items that you instinctively know are your biggest downfall and start with a fresh, clean slate.  Cutting out junk food, fried foods, and simple sugars can make a considerable difference in your energy level and in the way that you feel about your body at the beach this summer.  Be especially cautious of products that are high in trans fats and saturated fat.  Not only do saturated fats raise your total blood cholesterol, but there is also a link between diets high in saturated fat and the incidence of certain types of cancer, most notably colon, breast, and prostate cancers.

Eat higher quality foods. Concentrate on eating food for the nutritional value and not simply for the taste.  Take a trip to the health food store and try something different.  Experiment with new healthy recipes and ask friends for fat reducing tips.  Increase your consumption of antioxidant-rich vegetables, legumes, and whole grains by frequently cooking a big pot of healthy vegetable soup.  Get a vegetable steamer and put it to good use.  Put your fresh fruits and veggies out where you can see them.  Cut up raw, nutrient filled foods such as carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, and celery and snack on them during the day or take them to work with you.

Make it a high priority to drink at least eight glasses of water a day in order to provide your body with a clean internal environment and prevent dehydration.  This is especially important during the hot summer months.  Don’t wait until you are thirsty to drink water because thirst is your body’s way of letting you know that you are already starting to dehydrate.  Be aware that caffeine and alcohol can also have a dehydrating effect on your body as well.

Pair strength training with cardiovascular exercise. Combining weight training with aerobic exercise doubles the chances that you will lose bodyfat and gain more lean muscle mass this summer.  Try to really concentrate and focus on using correct form while strength training with weights.  It’s much more important to use proper, safe form than it is to try to lift as much weight as possible.  If your goal is to add more muscle mass, use heavier weight and fewer repetitions (around 8 reps).  To increase definition of the muscles, use lighter weight and higher reps (10-12). Also, keep in mind that at least 20 minutes of uninterrupted cardiovascular exercise is necessary to begin burning fat as your primary source of fuel.

Go for it! Push your exercise and athletic boundaries further by signing up for an event or race that you have never participated in before.  So what if you don’t finish first or if your time is slow?  Setting a new goal for yourself gives you something specific to work toward and leaves you with a lasting sense of accomplishment.  You might be surprised by just how much you can achieve when you set your mind to it.

This is your summer to feel healthier, happier, and stronger.  Go for it!

This article was written by Dr. Suzy, chiropractor and Health and Fitness Educator

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