Wednesday Workout Series: Core Training

The Bruins' Wednesday Workout series it presented by Beth Israel Lahey Health.
BostonBruins.com - Over the last few weeks, everyone's lives have been impacted.
The constantly changing circumstances have created some new and evolving challenges in all areas of our lives.
With most gyms closed and sports postponed or cancelled, many families are cooped up at home without access to the equipment or structure they're used to.
While these certainly aren't ideal circumstances, it does provide an opportunity to switch things up and have some fun with different training strategies you may not be used to.

Because most people don't have gym equipment in their homes, and not everyone likes to run, many people are a little unsure of what, if anything, they can do.
Staying active and maintaining a consistent routine is particularly important now, for both your physical and mental health.
The goal of this series is to share a few different body weight routines that you can do at home to stay active.
Many of the exercises are ones that we have the players do at different points throughout the season to maintain their mobility and core strength.
That said, you don't need to be a professional athlete to perform these movements. In fact, I've included these in programs for youth athletes and their parents over the course of my career. If the whole family is starting to get cabin fever (we're averaging about 200 games of hide and seek per day), feel free to invite everyone to join in.

Core Training

Core strength/endurance is incredibly important for both sports performance and healthy everyday living. Without diving too deep into all the science, your core essentially helps you maintain stability through your hips and spine, and transfers force between your lower and upper body. This can translate into a number of desirable outcomes like better balance, less hip or low back pain, and (for the athletes) more power!
The circuit below is a blend of exercises that integrate your abs, hips, and shoulders. These are all effectively "core" exercises, but you'll feel them in different places.
Perform one set of each of these exercises in a continuous circuit. When you hit the last exercise, start back at the top for two or three rounds.
1. Front Plank w/ Alt Arm Reach: (6-8 per side)
Coaching Cues
Video: Front Plank w/ Alt Arm Reach: 6-8/side
2. One-Leg Hip Bridge: (8-10 per side)
Coaching Cues
Video: 1-Leg Hip Bridge: 8-10/side
3. Bear Position Alternating Shoulder Taps: (6-8 per side)
Coaching Cues
Video: Bear Position Alternating Shoulder Taps: 6-8/side
4. Alternate Single-Leg Lower w/ Two-Arm Reach: (6-8 per side)
Coaching Cues
Video: Alternate Single-Leg Lower w/ 2-Arm Reach: 6-8/side
5. Lateral Kneeling Foot Lift Hold: (6-8 three-second holds)
Coaching Cues
Video: Lateral Kneeling Foot Lift Hold: 6-8 3-second Holds
6. Lying Torso Rotation: (6-8 per side)
Coaching Cues
Video: Lying Torso Rotation: 6-8/side
Please share photos and videos of your home workouts or ask questions by tweeting at us with the hashtag #WednesdayWorkout.