A month ago I finally crossed a threshold I’ve been eyeing – and avoiding – for a long time: I started strengthening my “core,” which is a hip new way of saying that I started doing abdominal exercises again.
It all started with a casual comment from Jennifer, who said she had started doing crunches after she got up in the morning. “I don’t allow myself to leave my bedroom until I get them done,” she said.
Aha. I immediately recognized this as the kind of psychological gimmick that works for me. The next morning I started doing some crunches on the floor in my bedroom and after only a week or ten days was amazed at the difference. “I can do this!” My confidence began to return along with the strength in my abdomen.
The next step was to make an appointment with Janette at New Motion for some professional direction. I bought an hour of her time for $80, and she put me on an exercise ball and showed me a dozen ways I could strengthen more of my “core” (including my back) with a minimum of discomfort and risk. Janette’s a big fan of the ball, and since I had one at home, it was easy to get excited about making use of it.
(I don’t do this.)
The transition from my original “bedroom discipline” to using the ball has been a bit bumpy. In the first place, using the ball meant moving out of my small bedroom, which broke the original discipline that had enabled me to form a routine. I also needed more inspiration than the stick-figure diagrams Janette had sent me home with, so I bought a book to support my understanding of how to do the positions and movements. It’s called The Ultimate Core Ball Workout, by Jeannie Detz, and so far, it’s been helpful. I think I’m beginning to get the hang of it – and it’s easy to use the ball when I’m watching a movie, listening to the news, etc.
The most interesting part of strengthening my core has been seeing differences on the bike. Slowly, over the days and weeks, I’ve been reminding myself to “engage the abs” when I ride, which is another sort-of buzz phrase these days. What does “engage” mean, exactly? I’m not sure, but my approach has been to begin with simply placing my consciousness in my midsection – to be aware of it when I ride, to use my abdominals to support my riding. At first, it didn’t seem to make much sense, or much difference. But as I’ve stuck with it, I’ve noticed some changes.
I think a stronger core has made a difference in my posture on the bike. I’m more inclined to support my body from my midsection instead of leaning on the handlebar, as Kathi McMahon suggests in spin class. That means I’m conserving the energy it takes to pedal with my whole body; I feel more balanced, centered, and solid on the bike.
But the most surprising event came a few days ago, as I headed up Baker Hill after a long ride during which I’d already done a lot of climbing. My legs were tired and I felt my confidence wobbling as I hit the first stretch on Crystal Springs. As I made the turn and went into the drops, I put my head down and said to myself, “ride from your core, ride from your core,” and somehow, I did – all the way up to Deerpath Lane.
How did it work? I’m not even sure. All I know is that I “engaged” my abs and focused on that part of my body – felt the “work” there, and somehow my legs just churned up the hill. The surprising part of the experience was noticing what a strong, sustained cadence I was able to maintain all the way up the hill – something that’s tough for me on a long, steep climb, even when I’m rested.
These early riding rewards for core workouts are encouraging – making it that much easier for me to keep going. And I have a long way to go, to develop a solid, strong base of strength in my midsection.
