I train people with quite a wide range of abilities. On one end of the spectrum I train with some very fit, strong, athletic people. On the other end, I train with people with disabilities, chronic pain and degenerative conditions (see my Get Moving page for more details).
But I still have a favourite core training exercise I try to do with all of them, regardless of their abilities…
Hitting things as hard as possible!
I was with a client recently who needs to use a wheelchair. They can stand and take a few steps, but their balance and confidence are not super high.
And I’ve had a few people give me funny looks when I get this client to stand tall and punch the pads as hard as they can.
I get even more funny looks when we swap roles and they hold the pads as I punch them!
But try it yourself… To throw hard punches, and to be able to absorb hard punches, takes a lot of things to work well… Including balance and core strength.
Because of the physics equation:
Every action has an equal and opposite reaction
Even when you are throwing a punch yourself, you are in effect, being hit back with equal force. But you are in control of that force… So it’s a fantastic way of learning how to recover balance and absorb impacts in a safe way.
Oh, and it’s great fun too!
So why not give it a go? And let me know how things go in the comments below…