The Core Program: Fifteen Minutes a Day That Can Change Your Life [Paperback]

Peggy Brill (Author), Gerald Secor Couzens (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2003

Introducing the fitness program designed by a physical therapist exclusively for women — proven to increase strength, tone muscles and reduce aches and pains in just 15 minutes a day!

Few women realize that most popular fitness regimens are designed for men. Yet women have their own unique fitness needs — and using a program developed with men’s bodies in mind is not only ineffective, but can actually result in injury.

Renowned physical therapist Peggy Brill has devoted her life to developing an exercise program specifically for women. Based on her understanding of movement dynamics and body structure, these exercises focus on developing and balancing the muscles in the anatomical center of the body — the core — which includes the back, hip and abdominal muscles.

Peggy’s remarkable head-to-toe workout targets the “hot spot” areas — neck, back, pelvis, hips, knees — that cause problems for even the healthiest women. In just 15 minutes a day, The Core Program’s easy-to-learn exercises will help women:

• Strengthen their bodies to achieve balance and alignment
• Eliminate everyday aches and pains
• Prevent bone loss
• Protect against osteoarthritis
• Improve sleep, digestion and circulation
• Enjoy better sex
• Feel energized all day long
• Overcome the effects of aging

With inspirational case histories, detailed photographs illustrating each exercise and self-tests for rating balance, flexibility and strength, The Core Program is an owner’s manual for the naturally strong, healthy body every woman should have.


From the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Exercise books often make grandiose claims of improving everything from your sex life to your cholesterol level. At best, these claims are harmless; at worst, annoying. Every so often, however, a program is developed with attention to specific issues, backed up with strong medical knowledge, and presented in a plain and helpful manner. Peggy Brill is a physical therapist who has created just such an exercise program. The Core Program offers numerous ways to improve deep muscle strength in women, which can lead to improved posture, strength, and energy levels.

Brill's program is designed specifically for women and built around easy exercises for the torso area, starting deep with the pelvic floor and working its way out from there. As it is a no-impact program that takes just a few minutes each day, it's easy for every woman to incorporate into her schedule, and equally appropriate for teens or senior citizens. She emphasizes that "the Core Program is supposed to relieve stress, not cause it," so a skipped routine or two is not the end of the world. The exercises are similar to those taught in physical therapy visits. Muscle groups from head to toe are gently warmed up before moving into yoga-inspired stretches and lift-and-hold exercises. Each one is shown with photographs and detailed written instructions, and all are easy to follow, even for a novice. With a few simple tests, you can easily determine the exercise level appropriate for you out of the three different levels shown. Amid all the instruction are plenty of stories from women with chronic fatigue or injuries who have successfully improved their stamina and strength. Whether this is the only fitness program in your life or an addition to your regular workout, you'll find this book informative and educational, with achievable goals and straightforward routines. --Jill Lightner --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“Working with Peggy is a dream! Her ideas are terrific and the relationship she develops with you makes you feel confident about improvement.”— Coach Mike Krzyzewski, head coach of Duke University's men's basketball team

“Nothing is more important to strength, health and vitality than strong core muscles. I know this from both personal and professional experience. Peggy Brill’s exercise program is effective for every woman, no matter what her current fitness level. And because it takes only 15 minutes per day, everyone can benefit.” — Christiane Northrup, author of Women’s Bodies, Women’s Wisdom

“Using The Core Program, you’ll give your body a head-to-toe workout that will also tone your muscles and carve inches off your waist and hips. You’ll look great and feel terrific. Best of all, the easy-to-do Core movements can be done no matter how old you are. It doesn’t matter whether you are overweight or skinny, fit or sedentary.”— Peggy Brill


Hear what women are saying about The Core Program:

“Sitting at the computer all day left me feeling drained. Now I don’t feel like I’ve been run over by a truck at the end of the day.”— Nancy, 32

“Finally I’m graceful; my strides are fluid. When I catch a glimpse of myself in a store window, I see a confident woman, not someone who looks like she carries the weight of the world on her shoulders.”— Jenna, 47

“I’ve been jogging for a few years, but not without discomfort in my hips. Now I enter minimarathons, and keeping up with my husband is no trouble at all.”— Ellen, 37

“For the first time in much too long, I feel terrific from head to toe. I never thought I’d feel this way again!”— Maria, 42

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Bantam (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0553380842
• ISBN-13: 978-0553380842
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 0.6 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (87 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,183 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #14 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Exercise & Fitness > Quick Workouts

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

150 of 151 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Core Program, September 2, 2001

By 

Tamar Amitay PT (Hoboken, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Core Program: 15 Minutes a Day That Can Change Your Life (Hardcover)

As an orthopedic physical therapist, I found Peggy Brill's program to be sound and complete.Most importantly, focus is paid to balancing the body's muscle strength and flexibility while strengthening muscles most important to good health and wellness. Her asides are excellent and the pictures of her exercises look great. I have already used some of her examples ie posture and correct ergonomics while at the computer for home exercises for my patients. She has pulled some of the best Pilates based exercises and Yoga postures to make her program current, unique and fun. She is a great advocate for the physical therapy profession, and I will highly recommend this book to my own patients.

52 of 53 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A firmer reader, April 6, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: The Core Program: Fifteen Minutes a Day That Can Change Your Life (Paperback)

Wow! I can't belive how much better I feel after only three weeks. When I was growing up, my dad was always pulling my shoulders back and telling me to sit up straight. After the first week of the Core, three co-workers complimented me on my posture. Two of them are now reading the book.

There are clear instructions and good photographs of each exercise. I had to refer to the book the first two or three times I performed the program (which was annoying), but quickly got the hang of it without refering back to the book. There are modifications for every exercise to match your current abilities.

Just so you know, I'm no altheltic, small thing. I'm 30 lbs overweight and was not exercising at all before I began this program. After the second week, I started on the next level, the Intermediate Core. The third and final level is the Ultimate Core with progressively 'harder' exercises. For those who know yoga, Peggy Brill recommends and shows the moves for the sun saluation. For those not familiar with yoga, don't be afraid.

Peggy explains her life experience and physical therapy training. She talks about injuries: how to avoid them, and how to recuperate from them. She walks you through a self-test to determine your own core areas of weakness. One of the last chapters covers weight training (free weights and gym equipment). My only complaint about that chapter was that she did not include alternatives to using gym equipment. She, ever so briefly, recommends healthy eating, sleeping positions, sitting posture, and the standard 20-30 min 3x/wk cardiovascular workout.

One thing that I noted right away with her introduction was that she didn't say you "should" or "might" feel better, but that you "will" feel better. I cannot deny that, for me, that is so true.

I took my body measurements at the end of the second week and then again at the end of the third. I've lost 3/4" in my waste and 1" in my hips in one week. That's all the motivation I need to do this for 15 mins 5x/wk. I'm actually doing it closer to 7x/wk because I've felt so much better since I started.

I don't know you or your lifestyle, but I'm recommending some of these exercises to my 85 year old grandma who is hunched over from osteoporosis. She'll be so thrilled that I am activly seeking a way to prevent that disease from affecting my future!

Good health!

57 of 60 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WHAT A PLEASURE, August 30, 2001

By 

Helen (NEW YORK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Core Program: 15 Minutes a Day That Can Change Your Life (Hardcover)

AT LAST A BOOK THAT ACTUALLY HELPS ME. EVERYONE SAYS THEIR PROGRAM WORKS, BUT I'VE ACTUALLY FOUND SOMETHING THAT REALLY DOES WORK. PEGGY SPEAKS MY LANGUAGE, I CAN RELATE TO HER STORIES. HER EXERCIES ARE EASY AND NOT BORING, THE PICTURES OF EACH EXERCISE REALLY HELPED TO DO THEM CORRECTLY. SHE KNOWS HER STUFF. I'M SO PLEASED I FOUND THIS BOOK. I THINK OTHER WOMEN WILL BENEFIT FROM IT ALSO.