Have you ever started a new fitness routine, only to find that your nutrition/food choices are holding you back?

Or have you introduced a healthier diet, but the lack of physical activity is keeping you from reaching your goals?

Now you can have the best of both worlds with SuperFit Solutions.

Created as a partnership between Deanne Newton of Healthy Solutions by Design and fitness trainer Dara Fischetti at Super Girl Fitness, SuperFit Solutions can help you get fit, get food savvy and have FUN! We offer different themed boot camps and detox programs throughout the year, as well as packages of fitness classes and nutrition and lifestyle sessions.

All of our solutions focus on helping you find the right combination of fitness, food and lifestyle choices to super-charge your health goals.

3 Great Core Exercises

We all want a toned, flat stomach. No surprise there. Did you know that crunching is not the most effective core workout? “Crunches work only the muscles on the front and sides of your abdomen, but it’s important to target all the muscles of the core to get more defined abs–including lower back, hips, and upper thighs,” says Lou Schuler, co-author of The New Rules of Lifting for Abs.

Core exercises help train muscles to stabilize the spine and pelvis so you can avoid back pain and improve posture. Trade crunches for these 3 super-effective core exercises and you’ll be on your way to a perfectly toned, flatter tummy.

Side Plank

Why it works: This abs exercise is more challenging than a traditional plank because you’re supporting your entire body weight on two points of contact instead of four. As a result, you must work your core harder to stay stabilized.

• Lie on your left side with your elbow directly beneath your shoulder and legs stacked. Place your right hand on your left shoulder or on your right hip.
• Brace your abs and lift your hips off the floor until you’re balancing on your forearm and feet so that your body forms a diagonal line. Hold for 30 to 45 seconds. If you can’t hold that long, stay up as long as you can and then repeat until you’ve held for 30 seconds total. Switch sides and repeat.

Bicycle

Research consistently rates the Bicycle Maneuver as one of the most effective abdominal exercises.

• Lie on your back on a mat keeping your lower back in a comfortable position. Place your finger tips lightly on the sides of your head and lift your knees up to about a 45 degree angle.
• Slowly go through a bicycle pedaling motion alternating your left elbow to your right knee, then your right elbow to your left knee.
• Your legs and shoulders should remain elevated from the floor during this exercise and the lower to the ground that your legs bicycle the harder your abs have to work.
• Caution – Do not pull on your head and neck during this exercise. Do not perform this activity if it puts any strain on your lower back.

Bridge

The bridge exercise is a great way to isolate and strengthen the gluteus (butt) muscles and hamstrings (back of the upper leg). If you do this exercise correctly, you also will find that it is a good core stability and strengthening exercise that targets the abdominal muscles as well as the muscles of lower back and hip. Finally, the bridge exercise is considered a basic rehab exercise to improve core and spinal stabilization.

• Lay on your back with your hands by your sides, your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
• Make sure your feet are under your knees.
• Tighten your abdominal and buttock muscles.
• Raise your hips up to create a straight line from your knees to shoulders.
• Squeeze your core and try to pull your belly button back toward your spine.
• If your hips sag or drop, lower yourself back on the floor.
• The goal is to maintain a straight line from your shoulders to your knees and hold for 20 to 30 seconds. You may need to begin by holding the bridge position for a few seconds as you build your strength. It’s better to hold the correct position for a shorter time than to go longer in the incorrect position.