Sara Haley<\/a>, a trainer who specializes in strength workouts for women in their 40s and 50s, has shared one core exercise she recommends for everyone, but particularly for this age group.<\/p>\n\u201cMy favorite core move for everybody is actually a great postpartum exercise too,\u201d Haley tells Fit&Well.<\/p>\n
It’s a variation of the dead bug, which is a well-known core exercise performed lying on your back.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe dead bug is where you\u2019re on your back, your hands are straight up and your knees are in a 90\u00b0 position and above your hips,\u201d says Haley.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWhat I love doing in that position is something I call the resistance fight,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
When doing abs exercises, many people struggle to activate the core properly. This move encourages that activation from the start.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf your core muscles are not already turned on, they\u2019re immediately going to turn on,\u201d says Haley.<\/p>\n
How to do the dead bug resistance fightLie on your back and with your knees above your hips and bent to 90\u00b0.Push your hands into the front of your thighs and your thighs into your hands, creating force between them.Continue pushing for 10 seconds.Relax, then repeat three times.<\/p>\nHaley recommends building your progression: \u201cStart with a 10-second hold, then increase it to 30 seconds, then 60 seconds. You don\u2019t need to go higher than 60 seconds.\u2019<\/p>\n
She also notes a common mistake to avoid. “Keep your head on the floor. A lot of people want to come up and do that crunch. But just keep your head on the floor and let your entire core activate.\u201d<\/p>\n