What is a good core exercise?

I love the dead bug exercise.. lie on your back, lift your legs up bent at right angles at the knee (so that your thighs are right angles to the floor and your lower legs are right angels to your thighs…) and lower your legs down towards the floor one at a time, foot first…without moving your pelvis.. I’m sure you can google it if my description is a bit crap :-) it’s sooo good

1.) Eat smarter not harder (AKA: Don’t eat less – Eat smaller portions, more often, and more nutritional) to keep your metabolism going
2.) Run on the treadmill
3 Jack Knifes

@nebule I like that one already just becuase its called “The dead bug” @mrlaconic Got the dieting…but i hate treadmills been using the eliptical and spin class…Ill let you know how I do on Jackknifes…I havent been able to do those before, but I will try dammit!

Burpees

Pilates is a really strong set of core exercise.
There’s a whole bunch you can do on your living room carpet.

I’m with @lifeflame and I think Pilates would be good for you.

Pilates covers every possible exercise for strengthening, cardio to take down the body fat percentage.

Flabby, if loose skin, you can’t do much except surgery. Flabby, due to fat, you need to burn the fat. Strengthening the muscles will help for a few reasons, but having strong six pack abs under a layer of fat, just means to the outside eye you look flabby. People like to think doing sit ups makes a skinny waste, but that is not true. Although, core exercise is very important for many reasons.

I recommend aerobic exercise to burn calories (dance or zumba combined with treadmill, cycling, or swimming. Zumba/dance because you also work various muscles, and many leg lifts in dance use the core, especially when you use your inner thigh muscles. Also, general strength training with weights, and a healthy diet low in fat, and make sure you are getting enough protein.

Oh, and I agree pilates is big time core. But, I did ballet, which uses almost all the same muscles as pilates, and pilates was extremely difficult for me, and bothered my back too much, and I rarely suffer back pain. So, if you try pilates, which I actually recommend, take it easy in the beginning, modifying where you need to. I prefer ballet and zumba myself.

@JLeslie Zumba was so much fun…but Im so uncoordinated the instructor told me “this is latin dancing, you’re not supposed to be doing an irish jig” It was hilarious and even though I was the class clown that day, I sweat alot!

@Baddreamer27 We have all sorts of uncoordinated people in my class. So what. Plus, you will get more coordinated the more you do it, and different teachers do different stuff. I am very coordinated, but have muscle trouble, and have to modify all of the time. I frequently am not doing what the majority of the class is.

The tips are: most dance, especially latin moves must be done on your toes (well technically it is half toe) flat foot means you can’t move. Get the feet first, and don’t worry about the arms until later, or vice a versa, depending on the move. Almost everything is done in an eight count except cha cha. So, the teacher is going to change direction after 4 or 8, it will help you predict and anticipate what the teacher will do. The instructor should be using arm and hand signals to tell you what is coming up, including 4 or 2 fingers in the air letting you know just 4 more or 2 more of what you are currently doing for instance, or it might mean go to 2, if you had been doing single counts. I have noticed that new people copy the teacher by putting their hand in the air, instead of realizing the teavher is giving direction. One last thing. If you are tall, your step might be much bigger naturally than most women, men have this problem also, so a song with a fast beat, might be harder for you to keep up, because it takes longer for you to complete your step. Keep this in mind, and shorten your step where necessary. Men need to do this to keep time with women.

Even though I had a dance background it took me 3 or 4 classes to really get into and get used to the moves, give it a chance, you will do better every time. And, some teachers get too complicated, wich is annoying.

Probably more than you ever wanted to know :)

wholeheartedly second the jack knives @mrlaconic suggested . . .

I find that the exercise ball offers the best core work outs without injury. You may roll off it a few times but the more you work with it he better you get. Just trying to balance on it helps to develop your core muscles evenly. The ball helps with developing even balance between your left and right side and center, basically your core. Plus you can do fantasic back stretches on it before and after work outs that won’t put your back out. There are a lot of free sites on the internet that offer examples of different excercises to do on the ball.
I agree pilates is great but some people over do and hurt themselves. If your looking for an alternative excercise that can help strengthen your core with little possibility of injury than the ball is fantastic. Only,when doing it for the first few times do it in a room where you won’t crash into anything. Maybe just flop on a carpeted floor.
Cardio is best for overall health. Building muscles, working your heart, and burning fat.