{"product_id":"the-core-program-isbn-9780553380842","title":"The Core Program","description":"Introducing the fitness program designed by a physical therapist exclusively for women — proven to increase strength, tone muscles and reduce aches and pains in just 15 minutes a day!\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFew women realize that most popular fitness regimens are designed for men.  Yet women have their own unique fitness needs — and using a program developed with men’s bodies in mind is not only ineffective, but can actually result in injury.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRenowned physical therapist Peggy Brill has devoted her life to developing an exercise program specifically for women. Based on her understanding of movement dynamics and body structure, these exercises focus on developing and balancing the muscles in the anatomical center of the body — the core — which includes the back, hip and abdominal muscles.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePeggy’s remarkable head-to-toe workout targets the “hot spot” areas — neck, back, pelvis, hips, knees — that cause problems for even the healthiest women. In just 15 minutes a day, \u003cb\u003eThe Core Program\u003c\/b\u003e’s easy-to-learn exercises will help women:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e• Strengthen their bodies to achieve balance and alignment\u003cbr\u003e• Eliminate everyday aches and pains\u003cbr\u003e• Prevent bone loss\u003cbr\u003e• Protect against osteoarthritis\u003cbr\u003e• Improve sleep, digestion and circulation\u003cbr\u003e• Enjoy better sex\u003cbr\u003e• Feel energized all day long\u003cbr\u003e• Overcome the effects of aging\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith inspirational case histories, detailed photographs illustrating each exercise and self-tests for rating balance, flexibility and strength, \u003cb\u003eThe Core Program\u003c\/b\u003e is an owner’s manual for the naturally strong, healthy body every woman should have.“Working with Peggy is a dream!  Her ideas are terrific and the relationship she develops with you makes you feel confident about improvement.”— Coach Mike Krzyzewski, head coach of Duke University's men's basketball team\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Nothing is more important to strength, health and vitality than strong core muscles. I know this from both personal and professional experience. Peggy Brill’s exercise program is effective for every woman, no matter what her current fitness level. And because it takes only 15 minutes per day, everyone can benefit.” — Christiane Northrup, author of \u003cb\u003eWomen’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Using \u003cb\u003eThe Core Program\u003c\/b\u003e, you’ll give your body a head-to-toe workout that will also tone your muscles and carve inches off your waist and hips. You’ll look great and feel terrific. Best of all, the easy-to-do Core movements can be done no matter how old you are. It doesn’t matter whether you are overweight or skinny, fit or sedentary.”— Peggy Brill\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHear what women are saying about \u003cb\u003eThe Core Program\u003c\/b\u003e: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Sitting at the computer all day left me feeling drained. Now I don’t feel like I’ve been run over by a truck at the end of the day.”— Nancy, 32\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“Finally I’m graceful; my strides are fluid. When I catch a glimpse of myself in a store window, I see a confident woman, not someone who looks like she carries the weight of the world on her shoulders.”— Jenna, 47\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“I’ve been jogging for a few years, but not without discomfort in my hips. Now I enter minimarathons, and keeping up with my husband is no trouble at all.”— Ellen, 37\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“For the first time in much too long, I feel terrific from head to toe. I never thought I’d feel this way again!”— Maria, 42Peggy Wachterhauser Brill, P.T,. is a board-certified clinical specialist in orthopedic physical therapy\u003cb\u003e. \u003c\/b\u003eHer private practice, Brill Physical Therapy, is in midtown Manhattan, and she also maintains offices in the corporate headquarters of Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse First Boston. Her expertise is sought after by the Duke University men’s basketball team, top executives all over the world, and leading physicians at the Hospital for Special Surgery and several other major medical centers. The author of \u003cb\u003eThe Core Program: 15 Minutes a Day That Can Change Your Life\u003c\/b\u003e\u003ci\u003e,\u003c\/i\u003e Peggy lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eGerald Secor Couzens is a contributing writer for both the Johns Hopkins Health After 50 newsletter and the Hopkins White Papers medical series. He is also co-author of the national bestseller \u003ci\u003eThinner at Last.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eSection I: What My Core Program Will Do for You\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eChapter One: What Every Woman Needs to Know\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCan you imagine having all the energy you need, all the time?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eNancy, 32, has it. \"Sitting at the computer all day used to leave me feeling drained. But now that I’m doing the core exercises, I don’t feel like I’ve been run over by a truck by the end of the day. After work I’m taking a course in art school instead of dragging myself home and collapsing on the sofa.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWould you love to feel great every day?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaria, 42, does. \"For the first time in much too long I feel terrific, from head to toe. I never thought I’d feel this way again.  I was dragging myself around, always feeling as if I were just one step away from moving at the pace of my 85-year-old grandmother. Best of all, I can accomplish everything I need to do, from lifting and carrying to walking long distances. I can’t thank you enough!\" \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eIs the notion of moving with ease and beautiful posture something you dream about?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor Jenna, 47, it is a reality. \"Finally, I feel graceful; my strides are fluid. When I catch a glimpse of myself in a store window I see a confident woman, not someone who looks like she carries the weight of the world on her shoulders.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eDo you wonder what it would be like to be able to summon strength anytime you needed it?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCarol, 36, can. \"My arms and shoulders and even my hands were losing so much strength that I could barely carry my groceries. I figured it was just a sign of getting older. Not only do I really appreciate being proved wrong — now I don’t have to think about whether I have the strength I need. It’s always there.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWould you like to rid yourself of aches and pains once and for all?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLeslie, 40, did it. \"Whenever I played on my company’s softball team I felt it the next day. Back strain. Shoulder pain.  Now I’m a star hitter and the day after a game I can savor the victory — not try to soothe aches and pains.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eIs the idea of having dependable stamina immensely appealing?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eEllen, 37, knows how great it is. \"I’ve been jogging for a few years but I was getting more and more worn out from it, partly because I was having a lot of discomfort in my hips. Now I enter mini-marathons, and keeping up with my husband is no trouble at all.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCore Benefits\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eYou can enjoy all the benefits described above, and more, if you will give fifteen minutes a day to performing the Core exercise program I’ve used with such success for the women I treat in my practice.  Moving through your busy life with a strong and supple and pain-free body is your right — because that is how nature intended you to be. I’m going to show you how to restore to your body what your life as a woman saps from it.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhy I Wrote This Book\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne morning a few years ago, I was on my way to work. As I stood, surrounded by other riders on a slow-moving bus, I started to observe how some of the women aboard carried themselves. I’ve had this habit for a long time. Even before I became a physical therapist I was always fascinated by the way people — and especially women — held, and moved, their bodies. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA well-dressed, fit woman in her forties who was standing next to me kept tugging at the strap of her obviously overloaded carryall. Her whole body leaned so far to the right it seemed as though the carryall had a gravitational pull all its own. Near her, a woman in her twenties, who was sitting, tilted her head to an extreme angle as she talked on a cell phone. She continually rubbed her neck, which was obviously hurting. Then there was the tall thirtyish woman who carried fatigue around her shoulders like a heavy shawl. Her whole body slumped forward as she held on to the back of a seat with both hands. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eWhat a shame,\u003c\/i\u003e I thought to myself. \u003ci\u003eThese women look so uncomfortable — and they don’t have to be.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThen, as the bus stalled in traffic, I noticed a woman on the street, who was at least eighty years old. In sharp contrast to the women on the bus, all of them much younger than she, this woman carried herself with freedom and ease. As she strode confidently on her way, her body was in perfect alignment. Looking at her, I realized how much I could do for the women on the bus — and every woman.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eMy work could give them the gift of strength and easy movement and physical balance today, and for the rest of their lives. They too would look, and move, like that confident, graceful, strong woman on the street, no matter what their age.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI decided right then that I would write a book that would enable women to use everything I had learned through my work, and that this book would be my way of fulfilling the commitment I had made, after my mother’s early death from a heart attack, to the cause of women’s health. I want to help women to change their lives, starting at the core. And I know how to do it quickly, easily, and inexpensively.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFifteen Minutes a Day That Will Change Your Life\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Core Program is the fifteen-minutes-a-day, five-times-a-week exercise regimen that will give you benefits no single other fitness program can offer. In a very short time it will:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e• \u003c\/b\u003eBuild strength\u003cb\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e• \u003c\/b\u003eAbolish muscle aches and pains \u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e• \u003c\/b\u003eImprove your posture \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e• \u003c\/b\u003ePut an end to joint stiffness \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e• \u003c\/b\u003eGive you a graceful, easy stride\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e• \u003c\/b\u003eEliminate fatigue after each session\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e• \u003c\/b\u003eRelax your body so that you get a good night’s sleep\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e• \u003c\/b\u003eImprove your balance \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e• \u003c\/b\u003eEnhance your stamina for the day ahead\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e• \u003c\/b\u003eHeighten your sexual pleasure\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e• \u003c\/b\u003eRid you of occasional nausea and headaches and other symptoms for which doctors can find no cause\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn fact, from your very first workout, you will experience an increased sense of well-being — a new sense of ease, energy and relief from everyday aches and pains. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Core Program will give your body a head-to-toe workout that will also tone your muscles and carve inches off your waist and hips. You’ll look great and feel terrific. Best of all, the easy-to-do Core movements can be done no matter how old you are. It doesn’t matter whether you are overweight or skinny, fit or sedentary. Maybe you’ll be able to do only one or two to start, but eventually almost everyone is able to perform all the exercises in the Core Foundation. Many others will go on to the more advanced versions of the program. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAll you need is an exercise mat, which stores easily under a bed, or simply use a large folded towel for cushioning. Wear an outfit that allows you easy movement. Sweats are fine; so is an old leotard or leggings and a T-shirt. After you master the Core Foundation program, you have the option of continuing to the Intermediate program, and eventually to the Ultimate Core. These more advanced programs include some new exercises, and some variations on the Foundation exercises. They also introduce the use of simple hand and ankle weights, for added benefits. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI know that being a woman equals being busy. Family. Career. Children. Friends. Shopping. Traveling. Cooking. Grooming. Gardening. Cleaning. Exercise. And this is only a partial list. With two children (one a baby), two physical therapy offices and one husband, my life is extremely hectic. So hectic, in fact, that I barely managed to do the photo shoot for the exercise sections of this book before I got really big with the pregnancy for my second child. I was three months pregnant when we did these photo sessions, as may be obvious in some of the pictures. So I think I understand as well as anyone how precious, and how short, time is. That’s why I made sure that the Core Program is lifestyle-friendly. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDo the program when it is convenient for you, in the privacy of your home or as part of your gym workout. Do it in the morning, the evening, or anytime in between. (I have patients who close their office doors and take a restorative fifteen-minute Core \"break\" in the afternoon.)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAs a Woman, You Need the Core Program\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Core Program derives from my experience of treating thousands of women for the most frequent aches and pains they experienced in their heads, necks, shoulders, arms, backs and legs. I noticed that, no matter where they were feeling discomfort, all of their problems seemed to relate to underdeveloped and unbalanced muscle groups in one area of the body — the core. What I’m calling the \"core\" is the torso, which extends from the base of the neck to the bottom of the spine, and includes the abdomen and all the back and hip muscles. These are the parts that stabilize as well as encase the vertebrae surrounding the spinal cord, through which the thirty-one pairs of spinal nerves branching off from the spinal cord emerge. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe brachial plexus is the group of nerves that branches off the spinal cord through the area of the neck, extending into the upper extremities of the body. The sciatic nerve, the largest nerve in your body, which is actually made up of a group of five nerve roots, emerges from the lumbar spine and passes through the buttocks and down each leg, supplying the lower extremities of the body. Because their ultimate source is the spinal cord, the nerves in both your arms and your legs function best when you have a strong and stable core. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBoth the neck and the lower back are dependent on the core muscles to stabilize the spine so that all the vertebral segments align with one another in a way that does not compress the nerves that pass through them. When nerves are compressed they can’t deliver full electrical impulses to muscles. When that happens, the muscles can’t work the way they should. Weakness and pain are the result.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn almost all of the patients I was seeing, I found that the core muscles supporting the torso weren’t as strong as they needed to be — and that was the root of the discomfort.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe exercises I give to my patients — the exercises of the Core Program, which are the same exercises I’ll be giving to you in this book — strengthen the core muscles. When those muscles are strong, discomfort disappears, and as long as you keep doing the program, it won’t come back. Working the core muscles also helps to keep your body in good alignment, so that sitting and walking and running are easier. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere is a clear cause and effect. The stronger the core, the better the body works. Just as a firm infrastructure supports a building and prevents it from breaking down inside, a reinforced core becomes the basis of a strong, supported body. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThat’s why it made great sense to me to write a book offering a series of exercises specially designed to strengthen the core — and to gear it to women. As women facing women’s challenges, we need to do what is necessary to make sure our bodies function smoothly throughout our lives. As I’ll discuss in more detail in chapter two, there are numerous lifestyle stresses and strains that are unique to women, as well as physical demands on us, none of which we can do much to change. What we can change is how we respond to them. It’s imperative that we take charge of how we use our bodies, which is what the Core Program can help us to do — and the earlier we make these changes, the better. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI always ask my patients if they would risk waiting until they were age 65 to fund a retirement account. After they look at me dumbfounded for a moment, they all reply with an indignant \"No!\" The same conclusion applies to meeting the needs of your body. Doing the Core Program is like investing in a retirement plan for your health. Start it now, and watch those dividends roll in. You’ll be able to live your life to the fullest. You’ll also find that the more you do the Core Program, the more effortless it becomes. I’ve been doing it for so long, it’s as automatic as brushing my teeth. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eUltimately, the Core Program does something no other fitness plan can do: It makes you resilient against the \"normal deterioration\" of age.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Missing Fitness Link: A Core Program to Complement Other Fitness Regimens\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eIf you are doing either aerobics or weight training or both, you might think that the exercise you are already doing, along with nutritious food and supplements, is all you need to keep your body in good condition. But that’s not true. Please don’t misunderstand me: I strongly support both aerobic exercise and weight training, as well as eating a balanced diet and drinking plenty of water, of course.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHowever, these healthy choices can’t give your body the strength, balance and alignment it requires to perform hundreds of daily actions effortlessly, and without any kind of physical discomfort. Nor can other fitness programs prevent injuries — much less relieve pain. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOnly the core exercises can enable your skeleton, muscles and joints to work together optimally, because only the core exercises offer the unique combination of strengthening, stretching, balancing and realigning that allows your body to withstand daily wear and tear. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHowever, you may choose, as many of my patients do, to add the Core Program to other workouts. Whether you quietly practice yoga, take part in boisterous aerobics classes and\/or do strenuous weight training, the core exercises will give you a complementary program that will make your other fitness efforts more effective. These terrific movements will align and strengthen your body to prevent the injuries that often occur in other exercise programs. Even if you are just planning to begin a walking routine, doing the Core Program first will help you build your muscles properly, thereby preventing the muscle strains and pains you might otherwise suffer, especially if you haven’t done any exercise in a long time. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBodywork Techniques: Help, Not a Cure\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMany patients who come to me have tried many of the bodywork techniques that are so popular today. All offer some benefits — and a few present some significant drawbacks. Here are some you may recognize:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Alexander Technique\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb\u003eFeldenkrais\u003c\/b\u003e, which both feature gentle and rhythmical balance-related movements. Unfortunately, they both lack strength-building components. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePilates\u003c\/b\u003e, which is excellent at strength-building, muscle-balancing and alignment. But to use Pilates equipment you have to go to a Pilates studio, usually paying for individual instruction. You can also go to mat classes, but it’s hard to master the Pilates techniques without one-on-one attention.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMassage therapy\u003c\/b\u003e, which helps to relax people while easing muscle soreness, but does nothing for strength. Also, it’s not something you can do yourself. In order to get the temporary restorative benefits of massage therapy, you have to pay for the services of a massage therapist.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTai chi\u003c\/b\u003e, which focuses on weight shifting and is good for stability, balance and strength. However, the movements of tai chi neither strengthen the arms nor open the spaces between vertebrae so that nerves can avoid becoming impinged.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eYoga\u003c\/b\u003e, which increases muscle flexibility but doesn’t build core muscle strength. It can also overstretch and thereby weaken certain muscles, resulting in imbalances in opposing muscle groups.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOnly the movements of the Core Program deliver relaxation and muscle building and flexibility and body realignment. No formal instruction or instructor is necessary, and there is no risk of injury.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Physical Therapist’s Approach to Physical Fitness\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI understand how a woman’s body can safely achieve fitness because, unlike most other fitness experts, I received in-depth hands-on medical training. I took four years of premed courses in college, where I majored in biology. Then for two years I attended a physical therapy school that was part of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, before attaining my degree. I have also done extensive study of the musculoskeletal system in advanced postgraduate courses. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhen a patient comes to see me, I use my training as a physical therapist to evaluate her in a particular way. Besides listening to her description of pain and dysfunction, I determine the range of motion of various joints and perform a thorough manual muscle test to assess the strength of all the major muscle groups. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs a physical therapist, I assess a woman’s body from head to toe. I know every muscle and joint and can pinpoint areas that need help. I know how to exercise muscles in order to balance them. And I know how to put the joints in alignment, which allows the bones to bear weight as they should, while eliminating any strain on your joints. But I don’t just heal injuries. I work with my patients to show them how to prevent future injuries — that’s part of my job. I can help women regain strength — without joint injury — in seconds. (See the box on page 12.)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter treating thousands of patients, I can confidently say that there is a recognizable pattern of muscle weakness and tightness that leads to almost all of the common injuries I see. Knowing what has worked well for my patients has enabled me to design a series of exercises to strengthen what tends to get weak and stretch what tends to get tight. This is why the Core Program’s effects go beyond mere fitness — they will affect your ability to feel well and function at maximum capacity throughout your life. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWhile fitness experts can make your muscles strong, they don’t look at a woman’s body the way I do. Their advice to lift weights to build bone mass makes excellent sense, but they often lack the expertise they need to teach you how to do it in a way that won’t harm your joints. And they are unable to address the underlying causes of achiness and fatigue.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI’ve been a physical therapist for nearly fifteen years. I love what I do for a very simple reason: Every day I work with patients who get better. The smile I often see on a woman’s face after just a couple of minutes of treatment tells me she is on her way to feeling great. And that gives me tremendous gratification. I see tension melt away along with aches and pains. I see changes in bodies as women learn to move themselves in more efficient ways. Best of all, I get to listen every day to women who tell me that they feel better than ever before, and that they have found a new trust in their bodies and new hope for the future. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMaking such life-improving changes is a huge accomplishment for anyone, but more than a few of the women I treat are recovering from severe injuries and complicated surgical procedures. A number of them are referred to me by physicians at several major New York City medical centers, including the Hospital for Special Surgery, St. Luke’s—Roosevelt Hospital Center, NYU Medical Center, New York—Presbyterian, and the University Hospitals of Columbia and Cornell. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMy work introduces me to all kinds of interesting people of all ages. In my private practice, I treat children under 10 as well as grandparents over 90. In my waiting room people who haven’t exercised in years share sofa space with Olympic athletes. Business people, including top executives from Fortune 500 companies, regularly arrive at my Manhattan office. I also operate a second Brill Physical Therapy office on-site at Morgan Stanley for employees of the company and their families. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn occasion, I travel to my patients. I’ve been to Beijing to help a high-level government official who had suffered from chronic back pain, and several times a year I fly to North Carolina to take care of the coach and players of the nationally ranked men’s basketball team at Duke University. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eStill, much of my work is focused on the musculoskeletal systems of women who are probably just like you. They have vague aches and pains that doctors can’t explain, or they have minor injuries that have occurred while doing exercise or playing a sport. Included among the common injuries I see are herniated discs; rotator cuff tears; tennis elbow; all kinds of neck and back pain; bursitis\/tendinitis (which is inflammation from overuse) in the hip, shoulder and knee; cartilage and ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) knee tears; chondromalacia  (dull aching pain behind the kneecap); sprains and strains; Morton’s neuroma; hammertoes; bunions; heels spurs; and plantar fascitis (inflammation of the plantar fascia, the connective tissue on the bottom of the feet). By the way, age does not necessarily contribute to these injuries. Thirteen-year-olds get them just as adults do. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut no matter what injuries I am treating, my work centers on building up and protecting the core of the body, because all these injuries are caused or made worse by core muscles that aren’t as strong as they need to be.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eInstant Strength Booster\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis simple yet incredibly effective neck retraction will boost your strength in seconds as it relieves tension in neck muscles. The movement expands the spaces between vertebrae so nerves in the upper extremities are free to send electrical impulses to muscles in the hands and arms. The muscles, in turn, can generate more force. (This is the same thing you do in the first movement of the first exercise in the Core Foundation, the Head-to-Toe Prep.) You can do this anytime, anywhere.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Movement\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e• \u003c\/b\u003eSit, or stand, straight. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e• \u003c\/b\u003eSlide your head back, tuck your chin so that the back of your neck is elongated and your ears are over your shoulders, and pull your shoulder blades together. Hold the position for three seconds. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e• \u003c\/b\u003eRelease slowly to a relaxed position.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e• \u003c\/b\u003eRepeat six times.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe First Core Goals: Strength and Toning, Balance and Alignment\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMy female-centered regimen goes to the heart of what women need to function well and feel as good as they possibly can. I’ll show you how to work with your body, not against it. Instead of feeling weighed down by fatigued muscles, you’ll get a burst of energy that will give you a lift. Knowing you can depend on your body, and watching it become better toned and defined within a few months, will give you a whole new level of confidence. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo make all these wonderful things happen, the Core Program will:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRebalance your muscles\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUnlike other fitness routines, the Core Program restores balance between muscles that work as a couple. The job of muscles is to pull, either concentrically (by creating force through shortening), or eccentrically (by absorbing force through elongating). But, as is the case with many couples, often one muscle becomes more dominant than the other. When this happens, their relationship is not equal. The result is that the muscles don’t work in harmony, and the joint they attach to suffers.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThink of it this way: The muscle couples work like a seesaw, with the joint they attach to being the axis of motion. When that seesaw goes up and down in a constant, equal motion, the joint is where it should be. It’s the same way in your body. There must be balance between muscles in order for them, and the joints attached to them, to work efficiently and painlessly. If there’s an imbalance, problems can occur. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFor instance, if you slouch, over a period of time the pectoral muscles in your chest will shorten, and become dominant. Over time, the upper back muscles with which they are paired will become elongated, or stretched. Then it becomes more difficult for the back muscles to pull with equal force. And here’s an example of what can then go wrong: You want to push a heavy door open, but when you move your shoulder, your dominant pectoral muscles kick in before the upper back muscles with which they are paired. This imbalance alters the force on the shoulder joint, and can lead to injury. If you strain to push open a door and you feel pain in your shoulder, it means that your pectoral and back muscles are not balanced and your shoulder joint is out of alignment.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRelease muscle tension\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMuscles that have shortened feel tense. By stretching short muscles, you can release tension and experience an immediate feeling of relaxation.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eStrengthen muscles without bulking up the body\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMoving the body against gravity reinforces muscles. The more you do the exercises, the more they will define your muscles, thereby toning your body and giving it a sleek look.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eEnhance stamina\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eDeep breathing, an integral part of the Core Program, delivers oxygen to muscles, which gives them endurance while also helping to relieve muscle tension.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReshape your body\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eYou’ll tone your abdomen, hips and buttocks and give your arms better definition, too. Inches will disappear even without dieting because the more muscle you have, the more fat your body will burn. You’ll be enhancing your lean muscle mass. If you are on a weight loss plan, doing the exercises will give you an extra boost. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eRestore alignment\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBy stretching muscles that are shortened, and strengthening muscles that are weak, your joints will be restored to their optimal position. This means that your skeletal alignment will be reestablished. With your joints in their optimal positions, you will sit, stand and walk tall and strong and move with ease. Your posture will improve, allowing you to move more gracefully.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eIncrease flexibility\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe flexibility of both muscles and joints is augmented. Achieving optimal muscle flexibility allows joints to move through their normal range of motion. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eIncrease capacity for sexual pleasure\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBecause the core exercises strengthen the pelvic floor muscles, which include the muscles that contract during orgasm, you may discover a surprising side benefit — easier-to-reach, more intense orgasms. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Second Core Goal: Prevention\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eYou may believe that aging will take an inevitable toll on your body. Perhaps you’ve already begun to notice that when you go to the gym you are having a problem with urinary stress incontinence — \"leaking,\" in more colloquial terms. This condition afflicts many women, especially as they get older.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOr if either arthritis or osteoporosis runs in your family, you might be concerned that you will eventually have to cope with one of these conditions. Perhaps you look at your grandmother and wonder whether you too will morph into a weaker version of your former self. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eI’m happy to tell you that these scenarios do not have to happen. While a woman’s body goes through inevitable physical changes over the years, age by itself doesn’t determine how well a woman moves or holds herself nor does it dictate how strong or how healthy she is. There’s a lot you can do to help prevent arthritis and osteoporosis as well as many other problems.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Core Program will:\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReduce the risk of developing osteoarthritis, or relieve the symptoms\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis painful joint inflammation, which","brand":"Bantam","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46305491058917,"sku":"NP9780553380842","price":20.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780553380842.jpg?v=1767738834","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/the-core-program-isbn-9780553380842","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}