Much like roasted turkey is a vital component of Thanksgiving dinner, a strong core is essential for total-body health. Our workout of the month for November, which is a roundup of some of our favorite core exercises from past workouts, focuses on strengthening your midsection, which translates beyond enhanced sports performance to benefit normal everyday activity. Try out these exercises and, by the end of the month, you should experience improvements in force production, mobility, back health, posture, and breathing, as well as a slimmer waist.

Self Myofascial Release (SMR) or foam rolling is a technique that focuses on improving the neuromuscular and fascial systems in the body that can be compromised by poor posture, repetitive motions, or dysfunctional movements, thus creating muscle spasms that ultimately lead to adhesions (more commonly known as knots). These adhesions reduce the elasticity of the muscles and lead to altered muscular control and muscle imbalance. SMR focuses on alleviating these adhesions to restore optimal muscle length and function.

Basketball season gets back into full swing this month. To celebrate, October’s Workout of the Month is all about helping you improve your conditioning on the court. This workout focuses on developing aerobic endurance and also mixes in strength training and agility, honing in on the muscles used the most when playing ball – legs, shoulders, chest, and core – to make you the go-to person on your squad. Add this workout to your regular training routine and see how your overall game improves.

As the sunny season ends, our summer body efforts tend to go with it. Don’t fall off the wagon; instead, switch into a high gear with this month’s workout featuring the kettlebell.