June Toning - Lots of Core Work
This video focuses on toning the core and abs, with a little toning for the pecs. You may find that some of these exercises are difficult, so I have provided variations.
Variations for a press: This exercise works your pec, or chest, muscles. When doing presses (push ups on your knees instead of your toes), make sure you are using the pec (chest) muscles when you push up from the floor. If this is too difficult, or you feel like you are using your arms more than your pecs, you can do a press against the wall. Stand with your feet about hip width apart and take a medium size step back away from the wall. Put your palms against the wall, a little more than shoulder width apart and at shoulder height. Keeping your body in a straight line, lean towards the wall and then push back to original position using your pecs more than your arms. Don't let your hips drop, causing your back to arch, and don't stick your butt out. Another variation is to stand and press your palms together at chest height. Again, use your pecs to press more than your arms. You can keep steady pressure or do little pulses.
Variations for V-Sit: This exercise works your abs and your core, as well as improving balance. Keep your upper body in a straight line, don't let your lower back round or arch. If you can't keep good form, you are leaning back too far. You can keep both your feet and your hands on the floor; you can raise your hands off the floor but keep your feet down; you can raise your feet but keep your hands up. If your feet are up, you can bicycle.
More variations continued below the video......
Figure 8 Variations: This exercise works your abs and your core, as well as improving balance. Like the V-sit, you want to keep your upper body straight. Use your hands to create a figure 8 pattern. Let your shoulders move and follow your hands with your eyes - this will activate the obliques (side of the abs). If leaning back is too difficult, sit up straight or kneel.
Side Plank Variations: This exercise works the core and improves balance. It's ok if you are not able to lift your hip off the floor. Even trying to lift the hip will activate the muscles. If this is too difficult, you can do a plank against the wall. Stand with the side of your body facing the wall, about one step away from the wall. Lean your forearm against the wall and put your palm flat against the wall. Let your hip drop slightly towards the wall, and then use the muscles on the side of your body to push the hip back away from the wall to the starting point. This isn't about movement - the dropping the hip and pushing it back are very small movements and are intended to help you feel the muscles on the side of your body working.
Plank: This exercise works the core and improves balance. Again, keep the body in a straight line. Do not let arch your back and let your hips drop. Do not stick your butt up in the air. If this is too difficult, you can do a plank against the wall. Stand facing the wall, about one step away from the wall. Lean your forearms against the wall and put your palms flat against the wall. Let your hips drop slightly towards the wall, and then use the ab muscles push the hips back away from the wall. Again, this isn't about movement - the dropping the hip and pushing it back are very small movements and are intended to help you feel the ab muscles working.
