Jump Start January: Healthy Week: Day 5

This is core muscle workout day, and having learnt my lesson from the day before I decided to opt for exercises I could do at home, instead of doing a long round trip on a day when I was busier than usual.

I did half an hour of exercises before lunch, which fitted really well into the working day. It was very manageable and not too tiring at all, and it seemed to improve my slouchy posture a little into the bargain.

My workout used small hand weights, matwork and an exercise ball, and I used the back of a chair instead of a barre. I made up my own sequence of exercises using a mixture of plates, ballet and ordinary gym exercises to work the abdomen, lats, gluteals, and hip adductor and abductor muscles.

If you’re new to this sort of exercise I’d suggest starting with an entry level pilates class with a good instructor to learn the basics, since doing these exercises incorrectly can put too much pressure on vulnerable spots on your neck and lower back.

To sum up: I can see myself doing this again on a regular basis as part of a wider exercise regime.