Work That Core

– Self Magazine

The Surprising Way To Get Flatter Abs for Summer

Add this to your to-do list at the beach and majorly work that core. It’s no coincidence that surfers and stand-up paddleboarders (SUPers) look great in their bikinis. Both sports help build serious abdominal muscles—a product of fighting through waves and constantly adjusting to the ocean’s unsteady surface. “Every paddle and power stroke uses your core, and that’s about 80 percent of an SUP workout,” says pro paddleboarder and SUP yoga instructor Gillian Gibree (shown here), owner of Paddle Into Fitness in San Diego.

And building a strong core is important for more than looking good in a two-piece. “It’s essential for day-to-day activities like twisting and lifting, but it also improves coordination and can help prevent knee, spinal and running injuries,” says Venu Akuthota, MD, professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Just doing crunches won’t cut it, either. “In real life,” Dr. Akuthota says, “you don’t use your transverse abs or obliques in isolation. You use them in combination with other muscles in your stomach, back and butt.”

Hey Gillian! Just wanted to thank you again for an amazing 4 days of training and growth. To be honest for the first time in my life I felt very vulnerable because fitness has always been a huge part of my life and for the first time I was challenging myself at a point when my fitness was at its lowest point. But right away you all made me feel comfortable and most of all inspired to get back to my peak fitness level. So thank you for EVERYTHING! Remember you ladies always have a free place to stay in NZ! Cheers and all the best! 

~ Shayna Teutsch Auckland, New Zealand

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Standup Paddleboard Yoga – Yoga Journal

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Beauty & the Beach – SUP Magazine