Health by Heidi

 "We were going through everything this past weekend, and Kim and I think it would work best if you and I take Ernie if anything happens to Mom."  My husband, Scott, had called me from Oregon where he was visiting his family.  His mom was sorting through all of her things, downsizing and moving into a smaller place.  In the process, she was also updating her will and all that went along with it.  Ernie was her three year old Yorkie dog. "Yeah, that makes sense," I replied, thinking that if we ever did end up with Ernie, it would be years away.  At the time of the phone call, we already had three cats and a seven month old yellow lab named Juno. Fast forward five months.  "I'll be home this weekend with Ernie."  Scott was once again calling me from Oregon.  Several events had transpired, and we now were the new parents of Ernie.   I grew up with cats.  I never had a dog until I met Scott.  I like dogs, but I am a cat person...

Got five minutes?  Got a band?  Try adding these five core exercises to your next workout.  You will want a band that is challenging but not so tight that it restricts your range of motion.  Perform 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps of each exercise. Banded Bicycle Crunch This is a great variation of the standard bicycle crunch.  Adding the band increases the challenge for the hip stabilizers.  Keep your knees separated through the entire movement to add extra challenge to the gluteus medius. Banded Dead Bug Similar to the bicycle crunch, adding the band encourages extra activity in the hip stabilizers.  Keep your knees separated throughout the movement, and make sure your lower back stays softly connected to the mat. Banded Side Plank with Abduction This is a great exercises for the side body.  It works shoulder stability, obliques, and gluteus medius on both legs.   Banded Bridge with Abduction Make sure you keep your hips lifted when you abduct the t...