Ready for a complete 360 core workout with a cardio pop at the end? You’re in for a treat because I’ve created an efficient, eight-minute complete core routine you can do at home. It starts off with donkey kicks, which not only activate your glutes and bring some extension to your hips (which, if you’ve been sitting from morning to night, have been in flexion all day), but they will also activate your deep core muscles. Next up, I throw in a variety of crunches to help strengthen your abdominals, which in turn support your back (again, essential if you’ve been sitting all day). If you’re pregnant or have diastasis, swap the crunches for some bridge lifts. Lastly, I finish it off with an energetic round of skaters to get your heart pumping. Your 4-week challenge: This workout is Part 4 of my monthlong series (see my lower-body blast, cardio burst, and glutes burn). I challenge you to keep doing more movement sessions each week, so by the end of the month, you’re doing my eight-minute workouts three to four times weekly. Trust me; I think you’ll feel a lot better in your body. In almost two decades of working in fitness and wellness, CJ has taught everything from step aerobics to vinyasa yoga. She earned her 200-hr teacher training at YogaWorks in Los Angeles under the instruction of Annie Carpenter and Sonya Cottle. She completed her barre3 certification in 2014 and created a beautiful community at their cozy West Village studio. Additionally, she has taught at The Class by Taryn Toomey since 2017 and joined the SaltDrop teaching team March 2020. On and off the mat, she is committed to social and economic justice and sustainability. Prior to Thinx, she headed up cause-based and advocacy public relations for V-Day, Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families, the Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, ColorOfChange.org, and more. Additionally, she worked for the Obama Campaign in 2008 and the Kerry Campaign in 2004.
