How to strengthen your core

Strengthening your core is key to aging optimally. That strength is possible not just by doing crunches, but from balance and flexibilty. Having a strong core helps prevent injury from falls, improves posture, and allows for easier movement. No gym required!

To improve balance:

Try standing on one leg for ten seconds with your eyes close. Make this a daily ritual. Be aware of your posture during the day.

To improve flexibilty:

Always stretch before exercising. Stretching your legs and your back strengthens your abdomen. Yoga and Pilates are excellent ways to become more flexible as well.

Steps to an effective crunch:

1. Lie (on a mat) on the floor with your back on the floor.
2. Force your back flat against the floor.
3. Bend knees so that soles of your feet are approximately flat on the floor.
4. Raise arms slightly off the floor.
5. Slowly lift your upper body, neck and head a few inches off the floor towards your knees and hold that position. Then return to the floor. The timing for the total up, hold and back down movements should be about a four count.
6. Try to do this exercise ten times. This is called a "set" that consists of ten "repetitions" (reps).
7. Rest about one minute.
8. Complete two more sets of ten reps each with a minute rest in between each set.
9. Take every opportunity to do this exercise a minimum of three to four times a week.

Hi I'm Dr. Pam Peeke. I'm the author of Fit to Live. Wanna age well and optimally? I'll show you how.

First of all, you've got to be balanced. Physical activity wise balanced. You need to be able to well avoid falls: that's our greatest fear as we get older and it becomes harder and harder if we don't practice balance. Can you do this? Can you stand on one leg and, well, for ten seconds? Well that's pretty good. And in addition, close your eyes. I see ya. Well, that's not bad either. Practice this every single day every now and then. There's no set time, just do it. Integrate it throughout the week.

Now in order to do this well you need two other elements. The first one is core strength. And that means posture. Most people are looking like this by around age 40 and that's terrible because you're putting a huge strain on the back and that's not where we want to go. Instead what we want is a strong abdomen and a strong back. They work together to form the core. Try to touch me and make me fall down. I'm not going to do that if I have a strong core.

That helps me also maintain my balance and as well it's easy to do. All you have to do is, well gosh, hit the floor, do a couple of beautiful little crunches. And how often do you want to be able to do this? Every single day that you can, but at least every other day. Try to be able to do, oh, ten to twelve crunches and do three sets of those nice and slow and keep up that strength. Ah feels wonderful! You could do it right there in your living room. You don't have to go to a gym. This is a gym-free exercise.

Now the third element is flexability. They all work together now, so how does flexibility fit into this entire picture. If you were to fall, well let's say it happens, then you're less likely to break a bone. Why? Because you're flexible. You could move with it; you could roll with it.

What do you have to be able to do to be flexible? Well, gosh, a couple simple exercises. Before you take that walk or hop on that elliptical treadmill, why don't you try stretching just a little bit. It's so simple. All you've got to do is work your legs, you work your back, you work your abdomen at the same time and I don't know where your fingers end up. At least try to do a little flexibility.

And you've got wonderful ways to be able to do this. With yoga, Pilates, and simple flexibilty exercises. Now you put flexibilty, core, and balance together and what you have is a package deal to be able to live optimally.