5 Exercises for Athletes

5 Core Exercises Every Athlete Should Do

Your core muscles include more than just your abdominals; there are some in your legs, back, behind and shoulders, too. The core muscles are responsible for maintaining balance and adding a strong foundation for your athletic endeavors. Having a strong core improves athletic performance and helps reduce your risk of injury, so here are five core exercises every athlete can, and should do:

1. Planks

The plank exercise is the absolute best core exercise you can perform. It strengthens your abs, glutes, quads, arms and shoulders – virtually all of your core muscles. To perform this exercise get down on the floor and place your elbows directly below your shoulders with forearms pointed straight out in front and straighten your feet behind you, on the balls of your feet with your big toes touching; look down at your hands. Engage your abs, quads and glutes to create a straight line from head to toe – like a plank of wood. Don’t raise your hips in the air or press into your elbows from your shoulders. Try to hold this pose for 30 – 60 seconds or longer.

2. Bicycles

The bicycle exercise strengthens your abs, quads and hip muscles. To perform the bicycle exercise, lay on your back, bring your thighs perpendicular to the ground and bend your knees, like you’re sitting in a chair. Place your hands behind your back and straighten your left leg, bringing it close to touching the ground while bringing your left shoulder (not elbow) as close to your right knee as you can, so your shoulder blade should raise off the ground a bit. Switch sides, and go back and forth between legs for several 10 – 20 reps on each side. Oftentimes you see people doing bicycles really fast, like they’re actually riding a bike. This may get the “flavor” of the exercise, but it’s better to keep the reps slow and concentrate on proper form. You will find that going through the reps slowly requires more strength and control and will provide better results.

3. Squats

Squats strengthen your hamstrings, thighs. calves and glutes while increasing flexibility in these areas, too. For proper squat form, place your feet a little further than hip width apart with your feet flat on the floor and facing forward. Keep your abs tight and back straight as you bend at your knees as far down as you can, without raising your heels off the ground. A traditional squat involves holding a weight bar across your shoulder blades with additional weight plates on the bar, but you can do squats without weights and still strengthen your core and improve balance. You can also bring your feet close together or do one-legged squats for slight variations, but still gain the same result.

4. Side Leg Lifts

To perform this exercise, lay on your side, bend your lower leg underneath your body and straighten your top leg. Make sure there is a straight line from the top of your head to the heel of your straightened leg; you can place an arm under your head for comfort. Keeping your top leg, back and neck straight, raise your straight up in the air as high as you can while pointing your toes to the ground. Do this for 30 – 60 reps on each leg to strengthen the your outer hip and medial glute muscles.

5. Shoulder Rolls

Sitting in front of a computer for hours on end, as most people do, causes you to hunch over, which can transfer into poor posture while exercising; shoulder rolls are the perfect remedy, and you can do them at your desk. Stand, or sit, up straight with your abs engaged and head straight forward. Slowly roll your shoulders backward and forward for 20 to 30 reps each direction – doing one direction at a time. Be sure to over-exaggerate the motion. Try to get your shoulders to touch your ears; squeeze your shoulder blades together; and squeeze your chest while going through the motion.