Netball Fitness - Core Strength

Welcome to our new feature section on health and fitness

"As one of England Netball’s National Development Managers and resident fitness fanatic I will be teaming up with fitness experts, friends and famous faces to bring you the latest development and ideas to help you get fit, stay healthy and most importantly, stay injury free! In the Winter 2011 EN magazine edition we’ve teamed up with Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire based personal trainer Toby Channon to bring you the core exercises every netballer should know." Emily St.John

“There's a reason you always hear that term core strength. Your core keeps you upright. If you don't have a strong core, you are far more likely to injure yourself. It won't be your core that gets injured. Your core won't do the job properly and it'll be your lower back or perhaps a hip or a knee that pays the price. So as soon as your new regime kicks off, have a week of easing in, keep your exercises steady and have a good chunk of your workout focused on your glutes and core. Save the Rocky montage for week 2, remember to warm up first, and if you are new to exercise or have an injury, contact your physician.” Toby Channon

Exercise 1

Isometric Raised Sit Up

How

• Grab a friend to hold your legs then place your bum near the edge of a bench or step.

• Lay back until you are flat, keep your eyes to the sky, not straining your neck and hold this position.

• Repetitions: 3 sets of 10-15 seconds

Why

• Strengthens the tummy without adding size.

• It works all the muscles around the hips and spine for extra protection when landing in a protective stance.

• There's no chance of whipping your body through an action it's not strong enough to do properly and injuring yourself.

Easier version - Isometric raised sit up - The same exercise, but this time performed on the floor held in a crunch position.

Harder version - Hold a light weight to the chest for added grrr factor.

Exercise 2

Straight Legged Roll Backs

How

• Lie down flat, then slowly sit up feeling each vertabra leaving the ground, eyes to the sky.

• Continue all the way up without your feet leaving the ground.

• At the top of the sit up, pulse your fingers forward and feel the stretch down the back of the legs.

• Repetitions: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions

Why

• Slow and steady so you won't add size, just strength.

• It's tough, so there's no shame in not being able to do it. Add the other two exercises to your work out and try it every few weeks

Easier version - Same exercise, smaller range. If you reach a point that you can't go beyond without losing form, keep going to that point. You'll get stronger until you can complete the full move.

Harder version - Complete the same exercise as slowly as possible. Aim for 10 seconds to sit up and 10 seconds to get down.

Exercise 3

Static Back Raise Hold

How

• Return to your bench with your friend

• Face down, get your hips to the edge of the bench and ask your friend to hold your feet.

• Hold yourself in a straight line by squeezing your back muscles.

• With hands to your temples keep neck relaxed; as soon as your back has nothing left, put your hands back on the ground.

• Repetitions: 3 sets of 15-30 seconds

Why

• It's a really solid workout for the back half of your body.

• It's quick; great to add to an efficient workout.

Easier version - Same muscles worked if you do it on the floor. Fingers to the temples, small squeeze of the shoulders and hold. Good if you thought the bench version was a bit adventurous.

Harder version - Grab a light weight and hold it to your chest.

Don't forget to...

• Cool down and stretch out your back and abdominal areas in particular to avoid feeling too achy the next day!

Next issue we will be bringing you more exercises to get netball fit. As a special benefit to our members Toby Channon is offering one free session to the first 20 members to contact him* quoting ‘England Netball’.

Just visit www.cgbody.co.uk or email Toby at toby@cgbody.co.uk