I promise you the first time you do these, your obliques will be sore. Side plank lifts are one of the best exercises for strengthening your internal core muscles and your obliques.

Here’s how to do them:

• Lie on your right side with your hips on the floor in a side plank position, with your right elbow under your shoulder. Put your left hand on your hip.
• Lift your hips off the ground until your body is in a straight line.
• Slowly lower your hips back down, but do not let them touch the floor.
• Lift your hips back up into the straight line position. That’s one rep.

Start by doing 10 reps on each side. Slowly increase, working up to 20 reps. Then do 2 to 3 sets.

Neen Monty is NOT a personal trainer…but she’s often called a gym junky, fitness fanatic and health nut. She’s a single mother of two, and knows how challenging it can be to find the time to exercise. Since her diagnosis of Rheumatoid Arthritis five years ago, appropriate exercise has been part of her treatment regime and she is a firm believer in finding a form of exercise that suits your level of fitness, general health and interests.

She writes a blog about Rheumatoid Arthritis called Arthritic Chick and also runs a website selling Pilates DVDs.