Day 5: Improve Your Core-Improve Your Riding
We are 5 days in to our 31 day challenge. How are you doing so far? Today might seem a little bit easier, because the exercise will only take about 4 minutes. Day 5 is an important part of the plan that you will incorporate into your everyday routine which will help you to be a better rider.
It’s All About The Core
One of the most important areas to focus on strengthening if you want to be a better rider is your core. If your core muscle group is strong you will have better balance, better control, and a better position while you are riding. And you can strengthen your core in as little as 2 minutes a day.
There are many exercise programs with lots of different exercises you can do to help strengthen your core muscles. But these take time, and I have found from personal experience I don’t stick with it.
However, if you have one exercise to focus on, it is even easier. You can take 1 exercise and perfect it for about 4 minutes a day, don’t you think?
The Exercise
The one exercise you will be focusing on is the plank. A plank is like a push up, without having to do the push up. You raise yourself up onto your tiptoes, and your arms stay bent at the elbow with your hands flat on the floor.
You keep your back straight while you are doing this.
Hold this position for at least 20 seconds.
When you are tired stop. And when you can, do it again.
You will keep repeating this exercise until you get to a total time in plank for 4 minutes.
How To Do A Plank
Get on the floor, and get into a push up position.
Bend your elbows 90 degrees and rest your weight on your forearms.
Keep your torso straight and rigid and your body in a straight line from ears to toes with no sagging or bending.
Keep your head balanced and look at the floor, I like to look at my hands.
Hold the position for as long as you can.
Inhale and exhale slowly and steadily. This will help you to stay focused, and give you something to concentrate on while you are doing the plank.
When your back starts to sag, it’s time to stop. The idea is to keep your back rigid, if you are sagging in the middle, you aren’t getting the benefit of the exercise.
When you have recovered, get back into the plank position.
At first this may be difficult for you to do. But if you do it every single day, you will be able to extend the length of time you are able to do it. The goal is to be able to reach 4 minutes in plank.
I know this may seem daunting, but I know you can do this! I have done this. When I started doing these plank exercises, I could barely hold my own body weight up for more than 10 seconds. But I kept at it. Each time I did it, I pushed myself to stay in the up position just a few more seconds, and then just a few more seconds.
After a short time of doing planks, I was able to reach the 2 minute mark, and after a little bit longer, to the 4 minute mark.
And the biggest change I have personally noticed is that I have better balance in the saddle. From one exercise, I have helped myself to become a better rider. And you can too! All you have to do is start.
Setting Up Your Plan
So now that you know the exercise, we have to make time every day to do it.
Grab your daily calendar, and a pen. On each of the remaining days write CORE. And for the rest of the 31 days, you do your core exercise, and then mark down on the calendar how long you did it. This can be 10 seconds, 30 seconds or even 120 seconds.
The idea here is to do it every day, and to push yourself every day.
You can do this. I know you can. And you know how? Because I have done it. And if I can do this, so can you!
After you have been doing this for a while you will notice changes. If you have a little belly pooch, it will begin to get firmer. If you have lower back pain, by doing planks, your back muscles will get stronger, and the back pain may go away. Your position in the saddle will be better. You will feel more secure when you ride and your confidence will increase too.
And if you want to increase your stability and strength, you can add variations to this exercise.
- Side Plank
- Straight Arm Plank
- Plank Knee Taps
- Raised Leg Plank
If you are going to do just one exercise to help you improve your riding, trust me, this is the one you want to do! You will get the most benefit from the plank which will help you in your journey to becoming a better rider.
So dedicate yourself to finding just 4 minutes a day to do this. If you can do it, by the end of this 31 day challenge, you WILL be a better rider!
Now get that red marker, and cross of day #5, you did it!!!
Previous Posts in 31 Day Riding Challenge:
Day 1 – 31 Days To Becoming A Better Rider
Day 2 – Planning
Day 3 – Groundwork and Grooming
