As published on Urban Naturale.

The merriest holidays have fitness on top.

While you’re indulging in the holiday ham, eggnog and sweets, and making sure your wish list is as detailed as possible, keep fitness on your mind as the New Year comes.

It was fitness, in fact, that earned the top resolution spot for 2015 and consecutive years before.

A solid start to your New Year of fitness is long runs and ab workouts.

Whipping up tips for longs runs and exercises for defined abs is NYC Physical Therapist, Karena Wu, Owner of ActiveCare Physical Therapy.

Wu has created a realistic fitness guideline based off her work with professional and non-professional athletes that is doable for anyone craving a better body for New Year’s.

Follow these fit tips, and you’re off to a strong 2016.

Tips for Long Runs

1. Select your shoes and socks

Test your marathon shoes with at least one 10-mile run to make sure your feet don’t blister.

2. Before a long run, warm up

Walk or do a very light jog (slower than your pace) no more than 10 minutes long, then finish with stretching.

3. Start slow

It’s OK to start slow for the first 2-3 miles, this will allow you to conserve glycogen. After that, pick up the pace.

4. Drink on the run

Practice refueling with sports drinks and gels.

5. Motivate yourself

Tell yourself what you’ve accomplished and that you will finish. It helps you mentally to know that you can finish and that the pain is temporary.

Workouts to Defined Abs

1. The Roll Up

Works all four abdominal muscles at once. Assists with segmental mobility and stability of the core.

Directions:

• Lye on your back with arms overhead.
• Bring the arms forward until they are above your head (fingertips pointing to the ceiling).
• Lift the head, and together with the arms, roll your spine up one vertebra at a time, keeping your navel pulled into your spine.
• Roll up completely until you are bending forward reaching toward your toes.
• To return, stack your vertebra one at a time until you are sitting erect, then slowly roll down starting from the sacrum (pelvic tilt backwards to touch sacrum down first) one vertebra at a time until you are lying flat on your back again with arms overhead.
• Repeat 10 times.

2. Plank with Pelvic Rotation

Works all four abdominal muscles with emphasis on obliques and assists with rotatory movements.

Directions:

• Lie face down on the floor with elbows propped under the shoulders (sphinx position).
• Pull navel into spine and lift the rest of the body up so you are resting on your elbows and toes.
• Push back through the heels to activate the legs and keep the navel into the spine throughout.
• Lower your right hip down to the ground approximately 1-2 inches by rotating in the lumbar spine, then repeat on the opposite side.
• Repeat 20 times on each side.

3. Bicycle

Works all four abdominal muscles. Helps with stability of the core.

Directions:

• Lie on your back with knees bent and feet on the floor.
• Clasp hands behind your head, elbows out to the sides.
• Bring both knees up into table top position (hips and knees bent to 90 degrees).
• Bring head and shoulders up and rotate right elbow to left knee while right leg extends out straight.
• Repeat on opposite side.
• Repeat 10 times slow on each side and 10 times fast on each side.

4. Pike with Ball

Works all four abdominals. Improves core strength and balance.

Directions:

• Balance your body with feet on top of the ball and hands on the ground.
• Pull navel into the spine, lifting your bottom into the air, while holding your balance.
• Push the ball away with your feet, lowering the bottom.
• Repeat 10 times.

5. Double Leg Raise, Scissors

Works lower abdominals. Assists with running and powering the legs.

Directions:

• Lie on your back with arms at your side.
• Pull navel into the spine.
• Lift both legs up at once until they are perpendicular to the floor.
• Slowly lower back down. Do not let back arch up off the floor. Add a scissor kick vertically and horizontally up to a few inches (legs stay straight and move up and down or side to side and crisscross each other).
• Repeat 20 times.

Click here to read the original article, or visit us online at activecarephysicaltherapy.com to book an appointment.