LIFE+ Blog

Leg Raises – Core

Full legs and modified with bent legs

• How To:
  1. Lay on your back
  2. Engage your lower core by drawing in
  3. Lift both your legs straight up just high enough where your lower abs are still engaged.
  4. Check this by placing your fingers on the inside of your hip bones and feel a small muscle contraction.

You can also modify this by having both knees bent and marching without losing contraction.

Lunges with Knee Raise

• How To:
  1. Stand with legs hip width apart.
  2. Step back with one leg
  3. Bend both legs so that the knee of your front leg is behind your toes.
  4. Raise up and take your back leg and swing it forward and up towards your chest.

Variations to make it harder: try holding onto 5# kettle bells or dumbbells in each arm.

Burpees – Full Body

• How To:
  1. Stand with feet shoulder width apart.
  2. Place hands on ground and get into full plank position.
  3. Lower down and complete a standard push up.
  4. Jump legs up to meet arms in a squat position and jump up in vertical position.

Variations to make it harder: try balancing arms on an unstable surface such as the flat part of the Bosu ball.

Bridges – Booty/Core

• How To:
  1. Lay on your back with your knees bent.
  2. Engage your lower core by drawing in and checking for contraction by feeling on the inside of your hip bones.
  3. Squeezing your glutes lift your back up off the floor.

Variations to make it harder: place a resistance band around your legs, lift one leg straight and complete with only one leg touching the ground.

Jump Squats – Lower Body

• How To:
  1. Stand with your legs shoulder width apart.
  2. Sit back in squat position with your knees behind your toes and legs at approximately 90-degree angle.
  3. From this position, push into the ground with your feet
  4. Jump into standing/vertical position.

What are some of your favorite body weight exercises?