Below are five exercises you can do at home to help with increasing your core strength and stabilization. Complete the following core strengthening exercises four times a week. Work up to two circuits for a total core workout.

No exercise equipment needed.  All that’s needed is you, a padded surface such as a yoga mat or carpet, and a drive to change your body from head to toe without anything getting in the way.

Let’s get started…

Banana to Superman

Duration: 1 Minute, Hold for 5 seconds each side

Works: Abs, Obliques, Quads, Shoulders, Back, Glutes, and Hamstrings

Lie on your stomach in prone position. Eyes on the floor. Arms extended overhead with biceps in line with your ears.  Lift your arms, chest, and legs from the floor.  Keep gaze on the floor, relax and hold your neck in neutral. Hold for 5 seconds.  Roll over on your back in supine position and keep your arms elevated overhead with biceps in line with ears still.  Lift legs straight out from your body in a 45 degree angle.  You will resemble a banana shape. Hold for 5 seconds. Repeat 6 total sets to complete a minute of this exercise.

Push-Ups to Mountain Climbers

Duration: 1 Minute; Approximately 4 to 5 sets

Works: Chest, Shoulders, Arms, Back, Abs, Legs, Hips, and Glutes

Hold your body in a high plank position. Hands just outside the frame of your shoulders.  Stomach, glutes, quads, and heels flex to create a solid high plank pose.  Perform 8 push-ups bringing your chest 2 to 3 inches from the floor. After the final push up, complete 8 alternating knee mountain climbers driving your knees towards your chest quickly to increase cardiovascular benefit. Keep your stomach lifted from your waist band the entire time and head is in line with your torso. Avoid tucking your chin in to your chest.

Mason Twists

Repetitions: 50 Repetitions (per side)

Works: Abs, Obliques, and Legs

Sit upright, knees bent, heels on the floor, and lean back about 45 degrees from your hips.  Pull your shoulders back and clasp your hands together.  Lift your legs parallel to the ground and twist side-to-side quickly, tapping the floor next to your hips each time.  Use your obliques to perform this exercise.  Do not focus on your shoulders twisting, rather focus on your obliques doing the work. To intensify this exercise, straighten your legs to represent more of a boat or teaser pose.

Bird-Dog

Duration:  1 Minute, Hold for 10 seconds each side

Works: Shoulders, Abs, Back, Glutes, and Hips

Come to a hands and knees position, hands placed directly under shoulders fingers pointed forward, knees hips width distance apart under the hips.  Engage your core and abs by imagining there is a tight corset around your waistline. Keep you torso neutral and parallel from the floor avoiding excessive sagging and arching of the low back.  Pull shoulder blades towards hips. Lengthen your left leg behind you parallel to the floor, heel in line with glutes. Reach your right arm overhead with biceps in line with right ear.  Keep your head in line with your spine at all times and avoid rotation of the hips and shoulders.  The body should be squared to the floor throughout the exercise.  Maintain balance and stability by lowering the arm and leg slowly, then alternate and switch to the right leg and left arm.

Hips Drops

Repetitions: 25 Repetitions (per side)

Works: Shoulders, Abs, Obliques, Back, Hips, Legs, and Glutes

Lie on your right side and bring your elbow under your shoulder, forearm will rest perpendicular to your body. Place your legs together and stack your feet. Raise your body upwards focusing on holding a solid side plank.  Drop your hips one inch from the floor and return back to a side plank position.  Try not to touch the floor with your hips.  Focus on lifting and lowering your hips, squeezing your obliques, and keeping the exercise out of the shoulder.  If you feel discomfort in your shoulder, bend the leg closest to the floor, keep thighs parallel and bend the knee 90 degrees so the bottom heel is facing the wall behind you.  This takes resistance away from the exercise and helps with stabilizing your core until you are ready to take both legs off the floor.  Your top hand can either be on your hips or reaching up to the sky in line with your shoulder.  Inhale when you drop your hips, then exhale when you lifts your hips.  Keep the movement slow and controlled.

Exercises that work with gravity and move through a wide range of motion prove to be the best way to train because of how it mimics real life. Your center of gravity is found in your torso just above your hips. Suspension Training ® intentionally displays your center of gravity activating your core to find balance in every exercise. Through dynamic positions and functional movement patterns the body is challenged to stabilize and work together in an effort to perform the exercises efficiently and effectively.

TRX and Suspension Training ® integrate your entire body in every exercise. This workout is fun because it is so different than traditional weight training using free weight or circuit equipment. Since each movement offers total-body integration, it makes it one of the best core workouts offered today. Amazing health benefits and strength gains have been experienced by seniors to professional athletes. Through a variety of modifications each exercise can be adapted to have you workout at your own pace and fitness ability. Improve every function of the body with Suspension Training ® and you will improve your quality of life and sports performance.

Joseph Pilates once stated, “You are only as old as your spine is flexible!” The MVe workout provides spinal movement in all planes of motion. By using your own body weight and the spring-loaded design, the MVe Fitness Fusion exercises can be adjusted to create greater tension to assist with movement or produce a greater challenge.

During your trainings, you will restore muscle balance, movement efficiency, and build endurance in deep intrinsic muscles that support the spine. Your stability, balance and coordination will greatly improve enhancing all forms of fitness. Over time your body will adapt to become stronger, more flexible, increase stamina, improve control, and you become more aligned with your mind-body connection. Join in this exciting workout to create long, lean muscles by experiencing a workout like no other! From beginner to advanced, you will challenge yourself and enjoy all the amazing benefits with each workout.

Small group, private and semi-private trainings available. Group training times can be viewed on our current Gravity Center Group Training Schedule.

“I have more energy, overall flexibility and muscle tone. My skin looks and feels healthier and I feel better than I have in years.”
Diane S.
Click here to read more about Diane’s Body Makeover.

Believe to Achieve Permanent Weight Lose! Lose fat, tone up, drop inches, become more active and reduce severe health risks that could develop due to lack of exercise and poor nutrition. The Gravity Center Fitness Studio offers the most effective permanent weight loss solution to help you reach your health and fitness goals through our exclusive Body Makeover Challenge.

The Body Makeover Challenge is 6, 8, or 12 weeks and includes:

• One-on-one or semi-private trainings on the revolutionary Gravity Training System (GTS®) or MVe Pilates Chair
• Cardiovascular prescription
• Nutritional advisement
• Body Composition and Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) tests
• Body measurements
• Weekly support, weigh-ins and guidance

Losing weight can be a big challenge and sometimes difficult to manage on your own. Our Gravity Trainers have the perfect support system and knowledge to keep you on track during your weekly trainings. All Body Makeover Challenges are customized to help you be successful without feeling like you are on a “diet” or crazy workout schedule.

Depending on the amount of weight you wish to lose will dictate the duration of your Body Makeover Challenge. This program takes discipline, commitment, and focus. We are here to give you the tools you need to be successful but ultimately you are in charge of your progress.

Each week you will meet at least once with your Gravity Trainer for your personal training session, weigh-in, and to hand in your weekly food journal. If you like the synergy of a group training, you are welcome to incorporate one or two group trainings in your workout schedule. If you prefer to focus on yourself and your personal goals, personal training is the way to go one to three times per week for the duration of your program. We will design a plan of action to keep you on track but is flexible enough to work with your budget and schedule.

P90X is a 90 day extreme home fitness program offering resistance, cardiovascular, core, stability, and mobility conditioning. But not everyone has an hour or so to devote to exercise or perhaps they like to workout in a group for motivation.

P90X Remix workouts are 30 minute group trainings that offer a hybrid of the 12 famous DVDs that got so many people across the globe in the best shape of their life. In just 30 minutes you will get a total-body workout that offers all the benefits from a collection of DVDs into each 30 minute P90X Remix workout.

Join Jewel Kessler, our certified P90X Trainer, for an exciting, fun, and intense P90X Remix workout each week. Beachbody and Tony Horton, the founders of P90X, brought the term “muscle confusion” to the masses to help millions change their bodies. We will not only offer you muscle confusion, we will make sure you don’t experience the dreaded exercise plateau so long as you are enrolled in a P90X Remix program.

The best thing about P90X is anyone can do it and be successful. All it takes is dedication, focus, and a desire to BRING IT every workout. It doesn’t matter if you are just starting to workout, or if you are a fitness enthusiast. This program is for everyone who wants to get healthy, feel better, and change their body.

“I love the P90X. During other work outs, parts of my body will be sore and I know I’ve worked them; after P90X, I have total body exhaustion and know I have worked every muscle – in a half hour! Can’t ask for anything after than that!” - Amanda M.

“I enjoy P90X because it is something different each week and not the same old routine that would bore you. I love trying and doing new things that will challenge me and when you workout with Jewel you never know what to expect, other than you are going to get a great workout and feel great when you are done.” - Holly F.

I love this new P90X training class! The fact that I am getting up so early to come and the intense 30 minute length, motivates me to focus on making every minute count, challenging myself with every movement. Of course, Jewel’s positive attitude and re-renforcement makes it an even better experience. Thanks!” - Jen R.

“Its an “ass-kicker”, but enjoyable.” – Wayne G.

“The program is great! I can spend 90 minutes working out on my own and do not feel half the benefit of a 30 min P90X workout.”- Tom W.

Facts about P90X Remix workouts at Horsham Athletic Club:

• 30 minutes in duration with a warm-up and cool-down/stretch included.
• Offered in a 90 day session, but anyone can join anytime and receive pro-rated rates.
• The more workouts you register for, the more you save AND the faster you change your body.
• Each workout is different so you remain engaged, challenged, and motivated.

The P90X Remix trainings are offered:
Mondays 12:15 PM
Tuesdays 6:30 AM
Wednesdays 6:30 AM
Fridays 12:15 PM

90 Day program runs from March 4 – May 31st (you can join anytime while space is available)

HAC Member Pricing:
$15 drop-in
$130 for once a week reservation
$243 for twice a week reservation

Non- HAC Member Pricing:
$25 drop-in
$180 for once a week reservation
$284 for twice a week reservatio

Please call Jewel at Horsham Athletic Club for further information and to reserve your workouts at:
(215)322-6222: The Gravity Center
(215)675-45434 x 107: The Horsham Athletic Club
thegravitycenter@msn.com

So here’s a question for you…do you know what foods will enhance your brain power, keep you in a positive mood, and make you overall more motivated and productive throughout your day? A new field of pioneering nutrition research from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology focuses on the study of food and mood. They have confirmed there is a direct correlation between what and when we eat that corresponds with our weight loss, weight gain, and even quality of life. It is no surprise that sugar and starch found in carbohydrates boost serotonin levels in the brain which make you feel more relaxed and calm. That’s why we tend to reach for baked goods, chocolate, donuts, ice cream, and candy when stressed. Let’s look closer to understand more about why certain foods affect us differently and how to get a handle on intense food cravings.

Carbohydrates

• Increases serotonin levels making you feel calm and relaxed.
• Influences concentration and helps to combat depression.
• Low serotonin levels increase food cravings and appetite.
• Complex carbohydrates should replace refined, processed carbohydrates in the form of whole grains, vegetables, fruit, fiber cereals, whole grain rice, and sweet potatoes.

Fat

• Too little fat in your diet can make you feel moody and less focused.
• Adequate quantities of fat increases endorphins and helps you feel satiated. Choose monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, almonds and avocados into your meals. Monounsaturated fats also promote a healthy heart.
• Omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, lobster, shrimp, walnuts, and olive oil help to reduce depression.
• Low fat diets can increase depression and potential risk of metabolic syndrome. To avoid spikes and drops in blood sugar try to keep your blood sugar levels at bay by eating vegetables, whole grains, oats, low fat yogurt and nuts which are lower glycemic foods.

Protein

• Protein increases your energy, alertness and helps you stay full for longer periods of time.
• Protein contains an amino acid called tyrosine which increases dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine levels. Tyrosine is responsible for affecting alertness and excitement. Low levels of tyrosine contribute to anxiety.
• Decent sources of protein include eggs, low fat cheese, 1% or skim milk, tofu, lean meats, fish, legumes and turkey trigger the release of endorphins that increase the release of dopamine.

Caffeine

• Consumed in moderation it increases alertness and concentration, and may improve performance, especially athletic performance.
• Consumed in large quantities or too often throughout the day may increase anxiety, cravings, depression, emotion instability, insomnia, and mood swings. It is very tough to stop consuming because of withdrawal effects.

Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Folic Acid (otherwise known as Folate) and Zinc

• These micronutrients support the production of tryptophan which creates serotonin and can be found in meat, fish and beans.
• Mood related disorders such as depression can lead to lower levels of folic acid and selenium.
• Good sources for folic acid include oranges, turkey, asparagus, beets, soybeans, and green leafy vegetables.
• Selenium keeps mood swings, anxiety and depression at bay. Good sources of selenium include whole grains, tomatoes, eggs, broccoli, tuna, and sunflower seeds.

Now let’s look at chocolate and why some of us crave it so much…

Chocolate is 50% fat and 50% sugar and releases an endorphin called phenylethylamine. Chocolate has the perfect combination of cream and sugar which stimulates and soothes simultaneously. Serotonin and endorphin levels are increased when chocolate is consumed. This helps to explain why it is typically the first food we think about when we are stressed or when women are going through their menstrual cycle. If you must reach for chocolate, make sure you get the most of every calorie with dark chocolate that is 70% cocoa. Read the ingredients of your chocolate bar and make sure the first ingredient is cocoa and not sugar. Dark chocolate has flavanols which improves blood flow by reducing the amount of cholesterol found in blood vessels. Plus, dark chocolate tends to satisfy your need for sweets faster than milk chocolate and is another source for monounsaturated fat.

By choosing certain foods that feed into the health of your well-being rather than the growth of your jean size you promote a healthy mind and body. There may be certain foods you may have an abstract obsession with when stress, boredom and anxiety pop up. Remember that if you don’t want to consume processed, nutrient-deficient foods that will make you feel guilty in an hour you don’t have to eat them. “You are what you eat.” If you eat healthy and make sensible food choices you will lead a long, healthy and independent life.

Do you have a friend that loves to exercise or wants to get back to exercising but needs a flexible program to accommodate their busy schedule? Or maybe you want something different than the usual workout routine you have been conducting for the past few weeks, months or even years.

Try our NEW Gravity FLEX program that gives you the benefit of a full-body workout in a small group training atmosphere at a time that is most convenient for you!

During your exercise sessions it is wise to understand the rate of perceived exertion to be able to adjust your intensity and recovery levels all by using your own senses or how you feel in the moment. The Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion is a scale from 6 to 20 with incremental measurements ranging from 6 (no exertion) to 20 (maximum exertion).

When someone is exercising they typically do not feel like going through a whole range of numbers to figure out which number directly reflects how they feel. In the Borg’s scale you have 14 different numbers to choose from which is not entirely necessary for the fitness enthusiast or the average gym-goer.

If you were to look at rate of perceived exertion as a simpler scale, 0 – 5, your will be more then equipped to understand if you are working out in the right range for your specific training. By understanding how you feel, how your body is responding to activity, and if you are exercising efficiently you can make a huge difference in your training routine and the benefits gained following your workout.

Modified Rate of Perceived Exertion (scale of 0 – 5)

0 – No exertion or intensity (sitting on the couch watch TV)

1 – (walking)

2 – (brisk walking)

3 – Moderate intensity (very brisk walking or jogging)

4 – (running)

5 – Maximum exertion or intensity (sprinting)

Most cardiovascular exercise (i.e. walking, jogging, spinning, rowing, swimming, etc.) should be performed at levels 3 and 4. The best physical markers to assess if you are within ranges 3 or 4 include sweating, breathing is labored, and you cannot talk in long sentences. A few words here or there would be fine but you can’t tell a story if you are working at your 3 to 4 rate of perceived exertion. As you progress with your fitness your exertion levels will change and adapt to the exertion. You will become more efficient with movement if you are consistent with your exertion levels and fitness routine.

If you enjoy working out on the treadmill, elliptical, stepper, or any other piece of cardio equipment than you can easily monitor your levels of exertion simply by playing with the resistance, incline or speed. Reading a book or flipping through a magazine would be difficult to do if you were in your 3 to 5 rate of perceived exertion. Music is a great tool to help you keep the blood flowing and the mind focused. Opt for upbeat, high tempo music for cardio sessions because it can help drive you to stay with the beat. Cool down music could include your favorite soft rock or meditative music to help slow your pace and gradually bring you back to a more homeostatic state such as a reduction in heart rate, respiration and core temperature.

If you do not have a heart rate monitor than use the modified scale of rate of perceived exertion when exercising. Physical sensations are the best clues to understand what your body is experiencing and how you feel in the moment. If at any point you feel dizzy, faint, nauseas, get a headache, anxious, experience pain or discomfort, or simply feel a little off, slow down or stop entirely and rest. Always consult with a physician before starting any fitness routine, especially if you or close family members have suffered from acute or chronic illnesses.

The modified rate of perceived exertion can be used the next time you exercise or even when conducting activity at home or at work. Make sure you are always aware of how you feel and listen to your body. Over time you will adapt, get stronger, and your fitness will increase if you are consistent. Stay the course and enjoy the journey!

Weight loss is a challenge. It is much easier to sit in front of a TV, munch on snacks, and drink wine for hours than it is to dedicate 30 minutes to working out or making nutritious choices throughout the day. When weight loss doesn’t happen overnight, we get discouraged or fed up because we feel like we have tried with no success. If you think about it, the excess weight didn’t just creep on overnight (though you may think it did). The extra weight is from days, weeks, months, even years of eating more calories than our bodies need for the daily activity we normally perform.

The first thing you need to do when planning to lose weight is throw the phrase, “I’m on a diet,” out the window. Diet is an evil four letter word that never needs to be uttered. The moment you think you are on a diet you are setting yourself up for long-term failure. You can easily break a diet or sabotage yourself, opening doors for binge eating and other negative forms of behavior such as dropping your workout routine by giving up. Why? Why would you do something that doesn’t help you, doesn’t make you feel good, and in the long run is bad for your health and quality of life?

Healthy living is simple. There are two rules of thumb to live by:
#1 – You are what you eat
#2 – You are as fit as you want to be

People say they want to be fit, but do nothing about it. So does that action really say that you want to be fit or are you just adding to the list of could of, would of, should of? I have seen people that are in their 60s and 70s, have orthopedic issues, have been in car crashes, and have professional and social calendars that would impress anyone, and they are more fit than a 20 year old. What do they have that others don’t – Drive. Simple. They have the drive to push harder, focus more, forget excuses, and move forward. They don’t cry when they can’t have a piece of cheese cake because it’s too many calories or they are too tired to workout. They do what they do because they want something and they go for it…and nothing gets in their way.

Pick up any magazine at the supermarket and you can get tips on how to lose weight, healthy recipes for the family, and exercises to do at home. If you can’t get to the gym, pop in a workout video at home or your hotel, go on YouTube for workout videos, rent a workout on On Demand, go for a walk or jog outside, do a family outing at a local park or playground. Being active and moving your body the way it was meant to move will give you the means to be healthy.

Now when it comes to weight loss, one size does not fit all regarding working out. Taking a leisurely walk outside or on the treadmill chatting on the phone and reading a magazine is not going to help you drop weight. Exercise is exercise for a reason. You need to push yourself for the majority of the time spent working out, with the exception of your warm-up and cool-down. I am not saying push to the point of injury, breathlessness, or excessive fatigue. My training motivation is geared towards encouraging others to step outside of their comfort zone and grow as a person as they push their mind and body to exceed their expectations.

I have several clients that amaze me because they simply won’t submit to their mind saying “I can’t do that.” They do, they achieve, and they are all the better tomorrow for what they did today. They see a challenge and they embrace it full-heartedly. Being in my 30s I have been more inspired by people in their 50s than others at my age or younger. Drive is the key component to any successful individual whether in business, on the field, or in life in general.

Nutrition is another important factor. I am not a nutritionist or dietician, but I know calories-in has to be less than calories-out in order to lose weight. Food and portion control is 75% the battle when weight loss is the goal. You are what you eat is a terrific phrase to consider every time you put something in your mouth whether it’s food, liquid, supplements, or even chewing gum. I once knew a person that chewed 25 sticks of gum a day, on average, and it wasn’t sugarless gum. That could easily add up to 625 calories if each stick of gum was 25 calories each. That’s a whole meal!

The point is, you have to be accountable for the choices you make, which includes what you eat, when you eat, how much you eat, if you exercise, how you exercise, and if you provide your body with adequate rest and recovery so it can repair and build. Excuses make you feel bad, fatty food makes you feel tired, sugary food gives you a quick buzz and then a plummet into guilt, alcohol packs on the weight if you overindulge, and lack of exercise ages you faster.

The fountain of youth is in the small every day actions you take today. Through exercise and nutrition you develop a better circulatory system, stronger muscles and bones, reduces risk of disease, improves your mood, boosts energy, helps you sleep better, and can even improve your sex life. So why would you make an excuse to not exercise? And as far as nutrition is concerned, what you eat will reflect how you look. I know people that eat very nutritiously and exercise 5 to 6 days a week and look amazing. On the other hand, I know people who eat to exercise and that theory doesn’t exactly work for their body fat percentage goals or waistline.

Your motivation will keep you going. Some days will be harder or more tempting to stray from the path. Find two things that will make you stay on track, specifically a process and outcome goal. A process goal is something you do to reach your outcome goal. For example, “I am going to exercise five days this week.” Your outcome goal is “I will lose 25 pounds by October.” Make sure your goals are SMART: specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-limited. An example of a SMART goal is to aim to jog for 30 minutes a day, five days a week for the next three months, and log your results. Or you could go for something else that motivates you like, “I want to be able to play with my daughter at the playground instead of sit on a bench.” Therefore, you are looking to build your endurance and strength. Incorporate the SMART method and you will be off the bench and on the monkey bars in no time.

Finally, change your perspective. Go into any gym and look at the faces of people working out. 9 times out of 10 they look miserable. They wear their emotions on their sleeves. “I am only doing this until I lose the weight”, “I’d rather be sleeping”, “Have to burn 500 calories today so I can eat chocolate cake without guilt”. These are not thoughts that will keep you going on your journey to health and a fit life. Typically any little setback tends to really affect people that have the short-term goals in mind. You have to look at eating healthy and exercising regularly as a lifestyle change. It’s not about the outcome, it’s about the journey. If you have a setback, start fresh tomorrow. Each day is a new beginning so you make the best of the time you have today because tomorrow is not guaranteed.

If you direct your energy and focus towards activity and food that is good for you, than you will feel better, look better, have more energy, and your mood will show just how great you feel. Take baby steps, but take the steps and keep walking. You will succeed with your personal goals. You just have to believe in yourself and keep pushing forward.