Strength comes from the core

The Asian Age.  | Sharan G

There is no better way to get your balance and coordination right, than trying out these basic workouts.

Plank to a toe touch

Functional fitness is fitness that helps you function better.  It is mostly comprised of multi joint movements making you move as a whole than just standing or sitting in one place. These movements are akin to doing activities at home, work or sports. Functional fitness challenges your balance and coordination, things that you need in everyday life. Imagine yourself when you might have to sprint for dear life or didn’t realise how much you shopped, and now you have to carry a few heavy bags to your car in the parking lot? Functional fitness helps you stay active throughout the day and becomes more like life than a fitness routine.  Here are some doable exercises that do a lot of good to give that stationary system a good workout.

Turkish Get Up 
Start lying on the floor with the right arm held up.
Bend the right leg with the foot on the floor.
Push on the floor with the left arm to reach a sitting position.
Lift your hips off the floor while pushing through your left arm.
Move the left leg back and reach to a lunge position.
Stand up straight.
Reverse the movement and start with your left arm up now.
Hold a weight to make the movement challenging.

Height Jumps
Stand about a foot distance from a box or pavement.
Bend your knees and lean forward with your arms by the hips. (skiing position)
Move your hands aggressively, and shoot with the hips.
Pull the knees high towards the chest.
Land on the box with the ball of the feet leaning forward.

Handstands
Plant your palms about a feet from the wall.
Bring your legs into a sprint position.
Make a strong leg jump towards the wall while the other leg follows.
Get both feet on the wall, and try to hold the upside down position for as long as you can.
Take the help of a spotter when starting to learn the handstand.

Single leg deadlift 
Like a conventional deadlift but performed with one leg.
Hold an object with both hands.
Keeping the spine straight, start leaning forward and raise one leg behind.
Try to balance the position till your leg is parallel to the floor.
Reset and continue with the other leg.

Pull ups 
Hang from a bar about 2 feet above your head.
Keeping your body straight, engage the lats and back to start an upward pull.
Focus on keeping elbows forward and moving upwards. 
Get your chin over the bar or as high as you can.
Control the decent while focusing on doing a negative movement.

Plank to a toe touch
Start at a high plank with straight arms and a tight core.
Keep your feet wider than normal.
Initiate by lifting one arm and reaching to the diagonal foot.
Body should be in mountain position.
Touch your toe and reset to a high plank.
Repeat with the other hand.

Read more...