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Core strength, core stability, lean and mean, lengthened not bulked: these are buzz words now in dance conditioning. What do they mean? How do they apply to you? It’s all a matter of getting to know your inner unit.

To begin with, we know that all movement emanates from the torso. We’ve heard that in beaucoup dance classes, right? Every time we imagine a movement prior to executing it, our brain has already done enormous calculations to stabilize some body areas in order to move others. That’s why having a thought rehearsal can be quite effective.

The center of gravity of a dancer’s body lies in the bowl of the pelvis, generally accepted to be around the second sacral fused vertebra. You can find it by placing both your hands on your hipbones and sliding your thumbs down floe back of your pelvis, heading toward making a letter V. Think internally–your center’s not on your back but actually a couple of inches inside the bowl of your pelvis. This inner unit is “computer central.” If you can manage it well, you have better control of your torso, spine, and head, and you’re in business.

So what exactly is the inner unit? It’s a term used by Canadian researcher Diane Lee, PT, in her informative book The Pelvic Girdle (1999; Churchill Livingstone). She has done groundbreaking work with Scandinavian orthopedic researcher Dr. Andry Vleeming to better understand how the pelvis functions. What she’s discovered is that the inner unit has four elements. There’s the deep abdominal layer (transversus abdominus); the muscular sling of the pelvic floor at the base of the pelvis; the muscular respiratory diaphragm, which cuts the torso top from bottom; and the small but prolific multifidi postural muscles of the lower back.

So how do you work it? Get familiar with all parts individually, and then integrate them. First acknowledge that breath uses the diaphragm. In Pilates, we say to think of the breath coming from the expansion of the sides and the back of the ribs. Dancers need the stability of the lower back while they’re moving. Exercises like those taught in Pilates knit the ribs to the pelvis in front, and then percussively use the breath, inhaling through tire nose and out through the mouth, to train the diaphragm to work like a piston inside the muscular cylinder of the torso.

To activate the deep abdominals, lie on your back with your legs bent and your feet on the floor. Keep a neutral back, with a small lower back curve; do not tuck or overarch your back. Then imagine making a big smile across your hipbones. This image usually activates a co-contraction through the small muscles of the lower back and the abdominals. To feel this more strongly, roll onto your side and balance there. Break at the hips like a puppet and then alternate bending and straightening both legs. Then find your pelvic floor muscles. They form a diagonal shape at the bottom of the torso, and can be divided into the front triangle and the back triangle. Try the above exercises again, using this next layer of imagery.

Gently pull up on the front triangle by trying to stop an imaginary flow of urine, and find the back triangle by gently pulling up on the muscles that stop you from breaking wind. Be sure not to grip your buttock muscles.

Before and after class or rehearsal, and whenever you exercise on your own, get in touch with your “computer central” as part of your initial warmup. I’d go so far as to recommend doing these exercises at least once a day.

Suzanne Martin is principal physical therapist for Smuin Ballet. She also has her own practice in physical therapy and Pilates.

Q As a 55-year-old who tries to stay in shape, I work out regularly, but I get cramps in my legs and feet. What can I do to avoid them?

A Doctors say exercise-induced cramps are common, often resulting from too little oxygen in the blood or inadequate blood flow during exercise. Fitness experts say cramps can be prevented by not exercising after eating and by stretching muscles before working out and throughout the day.

DO YOU THINK YOU’RE FIT? Short of hiring a personal trainer to evaluate your condition, you can only guess where your fitness strengths–and weaknesses–may lie. We have a solution. Our fitness test will rate your ability to balance, your flexibility, and the strength of your heart and muscles–just like a trainer would.

If the thought of a physical fitness test brings back bad memories from gym class, don’t worry. You can’t fail this test. Rather, think of it as a tool to help you improve your fitness and health. If you pass with flying colors, we’ll give you new challenges to keep you motivated. If you don’t, we’ll tell you how you can improve, regardless of your level. Take the test again in a month, and we promise you’ll score better.

How Fast Can You Run?

When your heart is strong, you can climb stairs with ease and run after an energetic child. Everyday stresses take less of a toll on your body, says Ray Browning, an exercise consultant in Nederland, Colo.

The Test: Learn how long it takes you to cover 1 1/2 miles on foot. You’ll need a stopwatch and a treadmill or flat surface (like the local high school track) to perform this test from the Cooper Institute, a nonprofit research center for health and fitness in Dallas. Warm up for 5 minutes (march in place, for example), and then time yourself as you walk or run (or both) 1 1/2 miles; go as fast as you can without discomfort. When you finish, slow your pace for a 5-minute cool-down, and then stretch.

How You Scored: Locate your time in your age group in the chart on the previous page to learn if your heart fitness is considered excellent, good, fair, or poor.

RUNNING

Age     Excellent            Good

30-39   12:53 min. or less   12:54-14:33 min.
40-49   13:38 min. or less   13:39-15:17 min.
50-59   15:14 min. or less   15:15-17:19 min.

Age     Fair                 Poor

30-39   14:34-15:56 min.     15:57 min. or more
40-49   15:18-17:11 min.     17:12 min. or more
50-59   17:20-19:10 min.     19:11 min. or more

How Many Push-Ups Can You Do?

If your upper body is toned you can perform everyday tasks, like carrying groceries, with ease.

The Test: Find out how many modified push-ups you can do without stopping. Begin by positioning your body correctly: Kneel on the floor. Keeping your weight on your knees, lean forward and place your palms flat on the floor about shoulder-width apart; your torso and thighs should be in a straight line. To do a push-up, lower your torso, keeping your back straight and abs tight, until your chest is about 3 inches above the floor. Then raise yourself back up to the starting position. Repeat as many times as possible, counting as you go. If you need to hold your body in the starting position for more than a second, stop.

How You Scored: In the above chart, locate your age group and the number of push-ups you did.

PUSH-UPS

Age     Excellent    Good    Fair    Poor

30-39   20 or more   13-19   8-1     7 or less
40-49   15 or more   11-14   5-1     4 or less
50-59   11 or more   7-10    2-6     1 or less

How Strong Are Your Abs?

Strong abs take stress off your lower back, explains Marc Campolo, Ph.D., chair of the department of physical therapy and sports science at Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J. They also help support your body.

The Test: See how many stomach crunches you can perform without stopping. To position your body the right way, lie on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your palms face down on your thighs. Lift your head and shoulders off the floor as you slide your hands up your legs until your fingertips touch your knees. To prevent neck strain, look up at the ceiling (not at your knees). Return to the starting position and repeat as many times as possible, counting as you go. If you need to hold your body in the starting position for more than a second, stop.

How You Scored: In the above chart, locate your age group and the number of sit-ups you did.

SIT-UPS

Age     Excellent    Good    Fair    Poor

30-39   42 or more   27-41   13-21   12 or less
40-49   36 or more   23-35   9-22    8 or less
50-59   30 or more   17-29   5-16    4 or less

Can You Touch Your Toes?

Not only can flexible people bend over more easily to pick up something off the floor, but they’re also less likely to suffer achy joints.

The Test: Discover how far you can reach. You’ll need a yardstick, masking tape, and a partner for this test. Tape the yardstick to the floor at the 15-inch mark. Sit on the floor with your legs extended straight, the yardstick between your legs with your heels at the 15-inch mark and the zero mark facing you. Gently stretch your torso and arms forward as far as possible, reaching with your hands; ask your partner to note how many inches down the yardstick your fingers extend.

How you scored: In the above chart, locate your age group and how far you could reach.

TOE TOUCHES

Age    Excellent   Good   Fair   Poor
30-39  21 or more  15-20  12-14  11 or less
40-49  20 or more  14-19  11-13  10 or less
50-59  19 or more  13-18  10-12  9 or less

Millions of people across the nation are walking, jogging and strutting their way to better health this summer. But before you hit the streets with your fellow fitness striders, protect yourself with these safety tips:

Keep cool.

On hot days, avoid dangerous dehydration and heat stroke by walking during cooler times like early morning or dusk. Dress in loose, lightweight fabrics that allow air to circulate and wear a baseball cap or brimmed hat to protect your face from the sun. Bring a water bottle and sip frequently to keep hydrated. Stay in the shade, or walk indoors at air-conditioned shopping malls and health clubs.

Bright colors and reflective strips on clothes and shoes make you visible to motorists and reflect blazing hot sunlight.

Travel light.

Keep your hands free in case you need to defend yourself. Put pocket change, identification and keys in a small waist pack and carry a water bottle with a shoulder strap.

Stay alert.

Accidents and attacks happen when people don’t pay attention. Be aware of your surroundings. Leave distractions like headphones at home. Bring a cell phone for emergency use only and wear a whist]e or body alarm if you need to summon help. Walk or jog facing traffic and don’t jaywalk or try to beat oncoming cars. If someone looks suspicious or you feel threatened, cross the street or go inside a store. If that’s not an option, keep moving but change your pace or change directions. Don’t be too shy to scream, either.

Avoid roads less traveled.

Tucked-away trails may be pleasant for strolling, but hidden paths lined with trees and bushes provide criminals with hiding places. And if you get hurt, no one will be around to help you. Stick to routes with plenty of people, preferably during daylight hours.

Get a magic stick.

Walking sticks are good for fitness and self-defense. Whether you opt for an aluminum walking pole, a sturdy tree branch or a broom handle, sticks and staffs provide extra power and balance during your walk, reduce stress on muscles and joints and can help you fend off any wild things that cross your path (stray dogs, raccoons, would-be muggers).

Buddy up.

There’s always safety in numbers. Recruit a friend to walk with you or get the whole family moving on the good foot. Join a local walking or running club or take Fido for a brisk stroll. Don’t own a dog? Volunteer to walk your friend or neighbor’s pooch a few times a week.

Move with attitude.

Good posture not only improves your workout, but also warns people not to mess with you. Keep your head up. Stride with purpose. Look determined. After all, you’re a warrior on a mission–a mission to fitness.

Confused about nutrition? Wondering how to fit in more physical activity? Welcome to the Lean Plate Club. Ask Sally Squires , nationally syndicated Lean Plate Club columnist for the Washington Post, about eating smart and moving more every Tuesday at 1 p.m. ET . Sally draws upon her master’s degree in nutrition from Columbia University to preside over the lively Lean Plate Club web chat. Whether you’re trying to reach a healthier weight or simply maintain it, you’ll find plenty of tips and strategies.

A margarine spread enriched with plant sterols can help reduce “bad” cholesterol levels in children who inherit high cholesterol levels from their parents. In tests conducted by the National Hospital in Oslo, Sweden, and the Unilever Health Institute in the Netherlands, and reported in the August 2002 American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, youngsters from ages 7 to 12 who suffer from the condition called hypercholesterolemia reduced their low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels by an average of 10.2 percent.

Q Since I was a teenager, I have been examining my breasts routinely in an effort to avoid the effects of breast cancer. I’m 32 and continue self-exams because the disease is a part of my family history. After years of doctors recommending self-examination, now I hear stories that the procedure is not as effective as was once believed. Will you please help me to understand all of the controversy surrounding breast self-examinations? T.E., Charleston, S.C.

A For years, doctors and other medical experts have strongly suggested that women routinely conduct breast self-exams as an important defense against breast cancer. The controversy that you speak about developed recently as the result of a study which, some say, indicates that teaching women the techniques to examine their own breasts don’t lessen the number of deaths from breast cancer.
The results of the study of nearly 270,000 Chinese factory workers came after at least 10 years of research. Half of the women were taught breast self-examination, a systematic search for tiny lumps, and half of the women weren’t. At the end of the study, researchers found no difference in breast cancer deaths between the two groups of women.

Despite those results, the majority of the medical community still suggests that women continue to check their own breasts, especially if they have a family history of the disease and if the exams ease their anxiety. The American Cancer Society, which recommends annual mammograms beginning at age 40, endorses monthly breast self-exams beginning at age 20. On average, doctors say a woman has a 1 in 9 chance of developing breast cancer during her lifetime.

“Better to be deprived of food for three days than tea for one.” There’s wisdom in that Chinese proverb, judging from reports at the International Scientific Symposium on Tea & Human Health held in September 2002 in Washington, DC. Since the last meeting four years ago, more evidence of the health benefits of tea–all tea–has poured in.
Research indicates that tea can lower “bad” cholesterol levels, boost cardiovascular health, reduce DNA damage in smokers and contribute to a decrease in risk of rectal cancer in women.

> A review of more than 50 recent studies shows that hawthorn, a medicinal herb popular for centuries in Europe, can help improve cardiovascular function, and reduce blood pressure and irregular heartbeats. Writing in the June 2002 Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong also reported that consumption of hawthorn under normal conditions poses no significant side effects.

Q As a 42-year-old female, I have now been suffering from rheumatoid arthritis for four years, and it seems that nothing I do eases the pain. One of my friends told me that I should try yoga. Can that really help ease the pain? J.B., Orlando, Fla.

A Rheumatoid arthritis, one of the most common forms of arthritis, affects approximately 2 million Americans, with more than 75 percent of that number being women. According to the American Yoga Association (AYA), yoga may help people with arthritis deal with pain and stiffness, improve range of motion and increase strength for daily activities.
The AYA, in association with the Arthritis Foundation, has created a unique yoga guide that’s designed to help arthritis sufferers remain active. Each exercise is illustrated photographically, indicating the proper way to perform each movement.