FITNESS

ALMOST THERE! MCO CORE CONDITIONING WORKOUT

As we celebrate our steadily realised “freedom”, here is a workout combo to help free you from your stay at home food guilt and build a stronger core. Lets go!

Russian Twists: 5 Sets, 15 Reps each side - Rest 20 secs You don’t have to be a Russian to pull off this exercise, all you need is good form and dedication! This workout is great to help mobilise your thoracic spine and strengthen the obliques. SETUP • Come to a seated position, bend your knees and bring your heel onto the floor. • Lean your body slightly backwards. • Brace your core while keeping a neutral spine. • Bring your arms slightly in front of your body and keep your elbows close to your ribcage. EXECUTION • While keeping your lumbar spine as stable as possible, rotate your thoracic spine from left to right. Thread the needle side plank: 4 Sets, 10 Reps each side (No rest; alternate immediately) This workout puts your obliques to the test while you keep your core activated and move in a controlled manner. Well, if it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you! SETUP • Come to a side lying position. • Place your elbows under your shoulders and push your body up to a side plank position. • Align your elbow, hip, knee and heel in a straight line. by Hazli Bojili FITM Borneo EXECUTION • Keeping your core stable, slightly rotate your thoracic spine and thread your top arm into the hanging gap between your supporting elbow and ribcage. • With control, slowly thread the arm out and stretch it up

overhead. Star Plank: 5 sets, 25 seconds hold, - Rest 15 Secs This workout is an amazing variation to the common plank we see every day. The star plank requires a lot of core stabilisation as well as muscle activation from the upper body. Surviving this workout would give a stronger core and leave you literally feeling like a star.

SETUP • Come to a full plank position with palms directly under shoulder and feet hip width apart • Brace your core and keep a neutral spine.

EXECUTION • Brace your core and keep a neutral spine. Keep a neutral spine. • Slowly spread your arms and legs 30°-45° away from your body • Keep your core engaged and spine neutral and hold the

position. Images | Hazli Bojili

Have a great workout and remember to always stay safe by being socially responsible!

RANTS & RAVES

protests around the world

in the wake of George Floyd’s death and Hong Kong’s Extradition bill that was being passed. Both protests have one thing in common, people couldn’t take it any longer and decided to stand up for a cause they believe in On the 25th of May 2020, a video went viral showing George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died due to a neck restraint performed by a white police officer. Evidently, George Floyd had done nothing wrong. Furthermore, the police officer suffered no dire consequences after his death. Thus, began the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movements to fight against police brutality aimed at African Americans. This problem has been ignored and cast aside too long and now finally sparks hope to turn things around. BLM has brought people of all races, genders, and ages to stand against the abuse of privileged power. White privilege in America is so strong that they don’t even recognize it and are taken for granted and abused, thus, black people are discriminated against and living in fear because, in reality, they don’t have that same privilege. BLM became a symbol of justice for all African Americans who died due to police brutality and to bring awareness to what is happening daily! Through BLM, by Cherelle Lim the police officer was finally charged for murder. Sadly, many similar cases did not get much news coverage until attention was brought upon it. People are standing up against racism of all

Recently, protests are happening around the world, especially

types. But right now, Black Lives Matter most. In Hong Kong, protestors take to the streets in hopes of withdrawing the extradition bill which started in April and continued till this day. It took 6 months of protesting to get the bill withdrawn. But by then, it was already too late because they had lost faith in their country when the bill wasn’t withdrawn earlier in the year. They continued protesting in fear that the bill would be revived and wanting 4 more demands. Hong Kong had been protesting peacefully for 4 months, but things took a violent turn as protestors were treated with teargas bombs and baton beatings by police officers. Things escalated when an 18-year-old was shot on the day China was celebrating its 70-year communist rule. Enraged, the protestors met violence with violence. Damaging property, using smoke bombs, storming into council buildings, and graffitied the building. What started out as a good cause, quickly changed when they were tired of waiting and turned to violence to prove their point. Adding fuel to fire, police continue to use violence against protestors.

You see, protest is a form of expression towards an issue, inequality, and injustice. It can be done peacefully or violently but with the same end goal which is to make changes for a better future. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change you want to

see in the world.” Images | Unsplash