Core Exercises For Losing Weight

Your core, which is composed of muscles in your abdomen, hips, and spine, functions as a stabilizer and support for your body. It helps you maintain balance and posture and produces strength, speed, and power. Core training in and of itself does not make you lose weight; however, it makes your body stronger and more limber which protects you from injuries such as back and hip pain. When your core is stable and mobile, you are able to exercise longer with less pain and fatigue. You lose weight by burning more calories than you consume.

The Chopper

Juan Carlos Santana, director of the Institute of Human Performance, developed the Chopper, which is a series of three exercises that trains the core by moving the body in different directions while maintaining a neutral spine. You can use the Chopper warm-up exercise before a workout or as a workout by itself. Do all three exercises with no rest between sets.
For the overhead chop, hold a medicine ball above your head and swing it down between your legs. Squat down as you do so, but do not hunch your back. Swing it back up immediately and repeat the movement 10 to 12 times.
For the horizontal rotation, hold the ball in front of your chest and twist to your left while pivoting your right hip and leg. Stand tall as you turn or you will lose your balance. Twist to your right and continue the movement back and forth, gradually increasing your range of motion and momentum. Do not twist too far or you might injure your spine.
For the diagonal chop, hold the ball over your right shoulder and pivot your left leg and hip slightly. Swing the ball down across your body to your left knee, bending your lower back and right hip and leg as you swing. Repeat the pattern on both sides.

Lunge and Twist

Like the Chopper, this exercise combines the forward lunge with a torso rotation. The rotation trains the core by keeping your spine tall while moving the rest of the body. If one side of the lunge is more challenging than the other, work an extra set on that side.
Step forward with your left leg and lunge down, rotating your torso to the left and hold both arms in front of your chest. Brace your trunk and push yourself back up to standing position. Repeat the movement and do both sides. You may hold a medicine ball or similar tool as a counter-balance.

Kettlebell Swings

The kettlebell swing teaches you to control momentum and generate force by using your hips and legs, which is called the leg drive. Do not use your arms and shoulders to do most of the swinging. As you swing, keep your spine neutral.
Stand with your legs hip-distance apart with your feet pointing forward. Hold a kettlebell with one hand with your knuckles facing forward. Bend your hips and knees to push against the ground, swinging the weight up until your arm is parallel to the ground. Swing the weight between your legs and repeat the pattern on both sides.
To progress, swing the kettlebell up until it is over your head with your arms fully extended. You may also use two kettlebells.