Core Fitness™ Exercise Mat  Starting at $21.95

Core conditioning is an indispensable part of any exercise program because a healthy core is the
foundation on which all other exercise should be built. The Core Fitness™ Exercise Mat is designed
to introduce your students to a sampling of these foundation-building exercises. When practiced
regularly, these exercises will ultimately provide your students with a healthy balanced and stable
core. By definition, core muscles are essentially the muscles located within the trunk of the body.
There are approximately 30 of these muscles and they contribute to every movement the rest of our
body makes. During core conditioning exercises, a number of these muscles are activated
voluntarily while others will be controlled involuntarily by the brains higher functions. Unlike some of
the more well-known core muscles such as the abdominals, many of these other core muscles are
located well below the surface of the skin. When body-building with weights for example, the results
can be visibly measured by the growth of muscle tissue. The effects of a core conditioning program
are more subtle and are measured by a sense of strength, balance and control at the body’s core.
Congratulations on your decision to include core training in your physical fitness program! A strong
healthy core is the cornerstone on which to build a physically fit lifestyle.




Safety Precautions

1.        Allow students time to study the exercises before attempting to perform them.
2.        Practice core exercises using controlled fluid movements.
3.        Exercise duration should never exceed 60 seconds without rest.
4.        If pain or cramping is experienced while performing any of these exercises,
stop and relax before attempting further repetitions.
5.        Increase repetitions gradually to build muscle strength and endurance.

Exercise Guidelines and Tips

1.        Your body weight provides the resistance necessary for performing
core exercises. No additional equipment is required.
2.        The positions these exercises place your body in activates your core
muscles. You may be unaware when some of these muscles are being
activated. Care should always be taken to follow proper form and function
for each exercise. When proper form can no longer be achieved during an
exercise, it means that it is time for your body to take a rest.
3.        Try practicing each exercise for 15-20 seconds in the beginning. Work your
way up to a goal of 60 seconds per exercise every other day.
4.        To avoid injury always listen to what your body is telling you. Core exercise
should never hurt. Because you will be activating many muscle groups at
once, it is important to build exercise repetition and duration gradually.
Copyright 2009 WSS, Inc.
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