The first woman was actually a baseball mom and the second a tennis mom, and I greatly appreciated them both! I was lucky I was somewhere with lots of stuff going on and people with phones.
Thanks for the planks tips. I don’t think I can do 3 sets of 10 push ups right now, though.
“Do you do sets or do you do 1 long one? I’m up to 1:45 and it is not pleasant. I can’t stand them enough to do the side planks or lifting a leg etc.”
MOfWC, happy anniversary! I do sets of 1 min front, 30 seconds side, 30 seconds the other side… That way, it does not get too boring. I pull up something to read on my iPad or Surface and read it while in the plank position. 
I also alternate planks with other exercises.
Thanks!
I do sets of 30 second holds. I started out doing long holds, but I think back guru Stuart McGill has it right. There’s no reason to do long holds. You want to strong core so that it can fire instantly in short bursts to protect you when you pick something up or provide power when you throw a ball or swing a golf club. It’s transient stiffening and it only makes sense that better shorter bursts train it better than hanging on for dear life while the clock ticks.
My favorite is actually Tabata plank. 20 seconds front plank - 10 second rest – 20 seconds side plank - 10 second rest 20 second side plank (other side) - 10 second rest – 20 seconds front plank. I do it with my feet in the Jungle Gym/TRX. Just more from one to the next, so it’s a 2 minute circuit.
On the car key: Since I live by myself, I had to stop and think what I would do if I locked myself out of my car. Fortunately, I have keyless entry so I never leave home without a spare set of keys hiding inside the car. When I hike, I leave that set in the car and carry just a single key on a clip in my backpack (in case I’m too befuddled to remember the code!).
Still sick. Restless night of sleep (the side effect of nasal congestion) and another long nap before dinner. But, it’s that time of year. My semi-annual iDad eats bread week. I eat a couple of turkey on rye sandwiches with Thanksgiving turkey leftovers (but at least I don’t put stuffing on the sandwich - sheesh).
And, this week, I am forced by so many Sunday mornings sprinting down the hill at 8 am when the gates open to get a front row seat in 15 grandstand and just hanging on for dear life until the concession stands open for the first [Augusta National Ham and Cheese on Rye](http://www.theawl.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/masters6.jpg). I upgrade mine a little with honey baked ham and Land of Lakes slices and Pepperidge Farm rye, but I stick to the original spread of half yellow mustard and half Hellman’s mayo mixed together. Yum.
I know I know carbs. So sue me! 
That makes sense about the planks. Thanks.
Sorry you are still feeling crummy. The sandwiches sound great! I do eat sandwiches. I eat too many carbs.
MofWC, a lawyer needs to feed her brain.
I eat too many carbs, too. My lame excuse is that I have to think to earn my living. I eat too much, period.
I like protein. I also like carbs.
Feel better, idad. Enjoy the carb treats!
Happy Anniversary, MoWC!
Cheering for you, runnersmom! You can do it!
Easter day my husband and I took a 7.5 mile walk in a beautiful state park. Lots of trudging through deep(ish) soft sand, so I was tired out by this one. We saw a diamondback rattlesnake sunning itself (big thrill!), and walked through a smoldering prescribed burn area. Many gorgeous flowers, so I got my squats in for the day, taking photographs. I took it easy yesterday, walking about 3.5 miles. Oh, I also picked a gallon of blueberries in the morning–so delicious! Today I ran 4.5 on the treadmill, and walked 2 more tonight with my husband.
Better you than me! I hope it was at some distance, although the way the darn things blend in, it’s usually not!
A common misconception about ab work is that more is always better i.e. if you can do 25 reps of a crunch then 50 must be better or if you can do a minute of a plank, then 2 minutes must be better. For the reasons IDad mentions, this type of approach does not foster the type of strength needed to provide core stability. Instead of going for “ab endurance”, it’s far more effective to increase the intensity over moderate duration so as to increase the contractile strength of your abs. In the case of planks, something as simple as placing your forearms on a stability ball and moving them fore and aft or side to side during a 30 -60 second plank significantly increases the load on your abs and is a much more effective progression than increasing duration.
A short (3.5 miles) run is the perfect way to finish the day. Also, walked the hilly streets for about 2 miles. The city was deserted - everyone was either at the ballpark or glued to their devices. My commute was a breeze.
Idad, be well! Mch and mcson both have this plague right now and I’m desperately trying to stave it off!
MomWC, when I am behaving, I do planks much as idad describes…first full plank for 30-60ish, then side 30, back to front 30, then other side 30, etc. it’s an excellent, quick thing to do, say, when making risotto 
Since I do very little else except my hill-walking I can attest that this uber-short routine when done daily for a month or so will make an unbelievable difference in core tone I can ALSO warrant that when you backslide, you will come to notice the difference pretty quickly too!
I am sick of waiting for pool season. My walks don’t feel like enough without the snow. I’m ready to re-habituate to an extended morning routine that includes water. But with te cooler terms, I should wait til at least month end to open the pool, as I doubt I’ll be able to resist cranking up the heat immediately that will undoubtedly triple our gas bill!
I have been in the garden a lot. Bulbs need to be divided, veggies are planted, and Im moving some of my beds a bit.( raised beds are going farther back from the path) I was doing good until I tripped and landed sideways on my knee replacement on the rockery. Knocked the wind out of me cause my hands were full. It’s ok, but I have to be more careful.
Something else to think about with abs - Planks are a great and important exercise but nonetheless have their limitations. Front planks, if done in a static fashion, primarily hit your transverse abdominus muscles, the deep ab muscles that provide an inner “girdle” for core stability. You don’t want to neglect yor upper and lower rectus abdominus muscles. For them, you need to add in ab exercises that involve movement, like variations on crunches and leg lifts. You can also use a stability ball to do variations on planks such as a straight arm plank with your legs extended on the ball and then you pull your knees to your chest or do mountain climbers from a front plank position. Then, of course, there’s your obliques. Side planks hit them but, again, you don’t want to just do a static exercise. You can pulse oblique crunches from an oblique plank position on the floor or on a stability ball, do supine oblique crunches from the floor. From the floor or a stability ball, you can do combo rotations from a front plank to a side plank using your core to initiate the rotation. Any an exercise where you engage your arms and legs against resistence adds a whole new dimension to ab work, like using a stability ball to do the Dead Bug exercise from a supine position with contralateral arm and leg squeezing against the ball. Even the ole sit-up slant board for doing crunches and bent leg sit-ups is great. A key to effective and safe ab work, however, is to always start the exercise with a braced core to maintain a neutral spine. Whether in a supine or prone position, you want to maintain a neutral pelvic tilt to keep pressure off your lumbar region. If doing crunch movements, keep your head in a neutral position to keep a neutral cervical spine and be aware not to pull with your arms if your hands are behind your head. The variations on what you can do for ab work are visually limitless if you combine static and dynamic elements to your ab routine.
Ouch EK! Hope you are not too sore this morning! Gardening can be great exercise for the whole body!
I love that so many proclaim their love for carbs. We’re all human, right?!
Speaking of planks - side planks - no can do! I seem to have awful balance for that feat! Our instructor taught me a modified side plank that allows me to keep balance.
We do planks in TRX - since we are at all different levels, there are so many variations offered. Front plank with scissors, mountain climbers - I really like planks. Even side ones. Pilates is where I get a lot of core work as well - that has been so beneficial.
EK, I hope all is well today.
Planks on a TRX are great. You not only get all the variations sabaray alludes to but more often than not, you are engaging your core muscles in multiple planes of motion which is a cornerstone of functional fitness.
Though I’m sure you will all tire of my daily check-in, reporting is keeping me honest. Day 3 of exercise, Day 2 of C25K complete! Also did 3 - 30 second hold front planks…gotta start somewhere! Hope it’s less grey where all of you live!
I’m doing the treadmill version of C25K because I have issues with concrete and uneven pavement. Once I’m running more consistently, I’ll head to the local trails for more foot/knee friendly terrain. I asked on one of my earlier forays into this thread about shoes for the treadmill…I have still not replaced mine. Suggestions? I’ve worn Mizunos in the past due to a narrow heel, but the current pair are New Balance 750s.
Michael- I know all those things are important for core strength and stability, but I’m simply not going to do them at this point. I just don’t have time and don’t want to do it. That’s not something to be proud of, but it’s a fact right now. I have been doing my Val Slides, and now the planks (which I will change up) and some work on my Jungle Gym after I run on the treadmill, but I am not consistent with my strength work and I simply can’t make it a priority right now.
3 miles on a nice warm (but humid) morning. Robins, cows, flowers, green grass. I think I survived winter!
