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The Flostate

Movement that Matters

Alice Halvorson

What the Queen of Core Wants You to Know About Ab Training

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They call me the Queen of Core — not because I wear a crown to class (though that would be fun!) — but because I’ve spent the last 13 years teaching people that your core isn’t just about abs. It’s about how you move, breathe, and feel every single day.

As someone who teaches nearly every core class for Flostate, I’ve seen firsthand how transformative a strong midsection can be — for your workouts and your everyday life. Whether you’re chasing kids, lifting groceries, or pushing yourself in the gym, your core is the foundation that holds it all together.

Here’s what I want everyone to know about core training — straight from the Queen herself. 👑

1. Training your core is non-negotiable.

A strong core provides stability for your hips, protects your back, and helps you maintain good posture and balance. It supports you in every move you make — from getting out of bed to picking up your dog to running a 5K.

When your core is strong, you move better, feel better, and live better. It’s one of the best forms of self-care you can give your body.

2. You’ll breathe better.

Your core muscles don’t just stabilize you. They also play a major role in how you breathe. A strong core supports your diaphragm and helps your respiratory muscles work more efficiently, improving your breathing mechanics and posture.

Translation? You’ll feel more centered and calm during workouts, and even just walking around in daily life.

3. You’ll be more powerful.

Every movement starts from your center. Your core is the power bridge that transfers energy between your upper and lower body.

Try swinging a bat, jumping, or squatting heavy without engaging your core — it doesn’t work! A stable core allows you to produce more force, move with control, and perform better in any activity — from sports to strength training to carrying all the grocery bags in one trip.

4. You may look leaner (but it goes beyond aesthetics).

Yes, training your core can create a “drawing in” effect that helps you look leaner — improved muscle tone, posture, and alignment all work together to create that appearance. But the best part? It’s not just about looks.

A stronger core can help you feel more confident in your body, reduce discomfort, and move with ease…which is way more satisfying than any six-pack could ever be.

5. It’s more than crunches.

Your core is made up of over 30 muscles that wrap around your midsection like a natural corset — including your deep stabilizers, obliques, and back muscles.

True core training means working in every direction: flexion, extension, rotation, and anti-rotation. It’s about improving function and control — not just doing endless crunches. When you train movement, not just muscles, your whole body benefits.

After 13 years of teaching core classes, I can tell you the magic happens when people stop chasing flat abs and start training for strength and stability. That’s when everything changes.

6. Core training builds confidence.

There’s something powerful about feeling strong from the center out. A solid core changes how you stand, move, and carry yourself — and that strength translates into every part of your life.

Ready to strengthen your core (and your confidence)?

Join me for a Flostate Core class on-demand and learn how to build strength from the inside out. Whether you’re new to core training or already love it, you’ll move better, breathe deeper, and feel stronger than ever. New to Flostate? Try our 14-day free trial to get going!

See you on the mat,
Alice 💪👑
The Queen of Core

4 Yoga Poses to Improve Shoulder Mobility using Blocks

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Unlock strength, ease, and freedom in your upper body

Tight shoulders can sneak into our lives from all angles—long hours at a desk, heavy lifting, stress, or even poor posture. The result? Discomfort, limited range of motion, and tension that can ripple into the neck and back.

Fortunately, your yoga mat offers more than just a reset—it’s a place to rebuild mobility and restore ease. These four poses, each enhanced with yoga blocks, are designed to open the chest, create space in the shoulder joints, and gently stretch surrounding muscle groups.

Let’s break them down.

Fish Pose (Supported Matsyasana)

Opens the chest, shoulders, and throat

Using blocks under your upper back and head, supported fish pose is a powerful heart opener that gently draws the shoulders back and down. It reverses the effects of forward hunching (hello, laptops and phones) and promotes better posture by creating space across the collarbones.

How to do it:

  • Place one block at medium or low height under your upper back (right below your shoulder blades).
  • Place a second block (lower height) under your head.
  • Allow your arms to rest out wide, palms facing up.
  • Breathe deeply and soften into the support.

Pro tip: If you feel compression in your lower back, adjust the height of the block under your spine or bend your knees.

Thread the Needle (with Block Support)

Releases tension in the upper back, shoulders, and neck

This gentle twist targets the posterior shoulder (especially the rotator cuff and rhomboids), encouraging both flexibility and circulation. Using a block supports your head or arm, allowing the pose to be more restorative and less about force.

How to do it:

  • Begin in tabletop.
  • Slide your right arm underneath your left, palm facing up, resting your right shoulder and ear on a block for support.
  • Reach your left arm forward or wrap it behind your back.
  • Hold and breathe, then switch sides.

Pro tip: Focus on relaxing the muscles between your shoulder blades and letting gravity assist the stretch.

Camel Pose (Ustrasana) with Blocks

Opens the chest, shoulders, and hip flexors

Camel pose is a deep heart opener—but it can feel intense without proper support. Adding blocks brings the ground closer to you, offering stability and encouraging safer alignment while you work into shoulder extension.

How to do it:

  • Come to a kneeling position.
  • Place two blocks behind you at your ankles (choose a height that’s reachable).
  • Place your hands on the blocks as you lift your chest and press your hips forward.
  • Draw your shoulder blades together as you gently lean back.

Pro tip: Keep your chin tucked slightly if your neck feels strained, or lift the gaze if your spine allows it.

Extended Child’s Pose (Supported Balasana)

Lengthens the spine and stretches the shoulders

When held with intention, extended child’s pose becomes a beautiful shoulder opener. Adding blocks under the forearms allows the arms to elevate slightly, intensifying the stretch through the armpits and upper back while encouraging the chest to melt down.

How to do it:

  • Start in a kneeling position with big toes touching, knees wide.
  • Place your forearms on blocks as you extend your arms forward.
  • Let your chest soften toward the mat.
  • Breathe slowly, relaxing your shoulders away from your ears.

Pro tip: Add a folded blanket under your hips or chest if you want extra support or need to modify the depth of the pose.

Why Shoulder Mobility Matters

Strong and mobile shoulders are essential for almost everything—lifting, reaching, even breathing more efficiently. But it’s not just about flexibility; it’s about creating functional range of motion supported by breath, control, and awareness.

Yoga blocks are your allies here. They help you customize depth, reduce strain, and access postures in a way that serves your unique body—making each pose more sustainable and effective.

Questions? Email us at info@theflostate.com

Why It’s Fun to Do a Road Race (Even If You Don’t Feel Ready)

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You’ve seen the race flyers. Maybe you’ve even clicked through to the event page once or twice. You’re tempted to sign up—but then that little voice pipes up:

“I’m not in shape. I haven’t trained. I don’t want to be the last one out there.”

Here’s the truth: You don’t have to feel ready to have an amazing time at a road race. In fact, some of the most fun, inspiring, and unforgettable race day moments happen for the people who just show up anyway.

Whether you walk, jog, run, or do a little bit of everything—racing is about more than the finish line. It’s about connection, energy, and stepping out of your comfort zone in the best possible way.

Here’s why it’s worth it—even if you don’t feel “race ready”:

1. The Energy is Electric

There’s something special about being surrounded by people moving toward the same goal. Music is pumping, volunteers are cheering, high-fives are flying—it’s hard not to catch the buzz. Whether you’re there with friends or flying solo, the energy of race day is uplifting and contagious.

2. You Don’t Have to Race to Participate

This isn’t about beating a clock or proving anything. Many people walk the entire 5K. Some stop for selfies. Some show up in costumes! The beauty of races like the Live Brave 5K is that they welcome everyone. You set your pace. You run your race.

3. You Might Surprise Yourself

One of the most empowering moments is realizing you’re doing something you once doubted. Whether it’s your first mile or your 500th, finishing a race (even slowly) feels so good. That finish line moment? Instant confidence boost. Bonus: it also makes for a great photo.

4. It’s Fun With Friends (or Friendly Strangers)

Bring your bestie, your neighbor, your coworkers, or come solo and soak in the camaraderie. Road races are filled with strangers who feel like teammates. You’ll laugh, encourage each other, and maybe even make a new friend.

5. You’ll Walk Away With Swag—and a Story

T-shirts, medals, team gear…sure, those are fun. But what you really walk away with is a sense of pride and the story that you showed up. That you did something bold and brave (even when you weren’t sure you could). That’s worth celebrating.

So… Should You Sign Up?

If you’ve been on the fence about registering for a race—take this as your sign. You don’t need to train for weeks. You don’t need to be fast. You don’t even need to run. All you need is the courage to show up and enjoy the ride.

And hey, if you’re looking for a supportive, high-energy, purpose-driven event to start with… we happen to know a good one. 😉

👉 Join us for the Live Brave 5K and 1 Mile on August 9th and participate with the Flostate Team! Live Brave benefits eating disorder awareness, prevention and recovery initiatives and was founded by Flostate Co-Owner, Alice Halvorson.

Register here. Select “yes” to join a team and choose “Flostate Fitness” from the dropdown list of teams.

Because showing up as you are is more than enough. And once you cross that finish line—you’ll be so glad you did.

How to Resume Workouts After an Extended Break

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Weeklong cabin trip interrupted your exercise routine? Recovering from an illness or injury? Or maybe you’ve just been so busy with the activities and commitments layered upon your work that you just haven’t gotten to the gym lately. There are lots of reasons why we may have taken a longer than intended break from our workout routine. It can leave us feeling sluggish, down on ourselves or just plain out of sorts. So how do you get back to it? What’s the smoothest re-entry? 

The best way is just starting. Rip off the Band-Aid.

You need to start. Make the decision that you’re ready to get going again and then pick a specific date as your start date. (Tomorrow is good. Today? Even better!)

There’s more to it than just ripping off the Band-Aid however. Let me break down some simple steps to  help you really get back on track.

Step one, make a plan 

What type of workouts do you want to do? Did you sign up for a race that you haven’t started training for? Or long to get back to those fitness classes you love? Figure out what type of training you want to do.

Next, decide a workout frequency that’s realistic for you. Can you truly make it to the gym two days a week, even though you keep trying for five? Work on being consistent with what you can actually do first. In this case, realistic is better than optimistic.The last thing you want to do is make an elaborate plan to work out every single day and then burn out or get discouraged because it’s not happening – and quit. Don’t self-sabotage.

Next, get out your calendar and identify slots of time that will work for you to workout. Block off that time like any other meeting. Schedule a workout class with Flostate or make a plan to go for a hike with a friend during that time. Get specific, like “Take Alice’s Total Body Strength Class” or “Walk for 45 minutes at Afton State Park” from 10-10:45 am, etc. 

You might have to ease in 

Do you already have a routine established or a training plan you’re supposed to be following? Depending on what that is and how long you’ve been gone will determine whether or not you can simply jump back in or if you need to ease yourself back in.

If you’re a beginner exerciser you’ve been out for more than a few weeks or are recovering from injury or illness, you need to take things a little bit slower. Start with maybe a third of what you would normally tackle in your workout week. If you’re used to taking six classes at the gym, you take two and see how your body responds.. If you’re used to resistance training in the weight room, maybe you ease back in by using just bodyweight exercises or picking up lighter dumbbells. 

Ramp up like this for a few weeks to reacclimate your body, build your confidence, and also reduce the chances of extreme soreness, or worst case – a relapse in illness or injury.

If you’re an athlete or fitness enthusiast with years of training under your belt and it hasn’t been an extended break, you’d probably be safe just reducing the weight you are lifting, mileage or minutes exercising for a week and then get back to it.  

Be patient – you’re in this for the long-haul 

In the end, think of this as a marathon and not a sprint. You don’t need to do everything perfectly or expect yourself to be right back where you were. it may take a little time, and that’s OK. Focus on consistency – even if it is different or less than your normal routine. Time really does move fast so before you know it, he will be right back where you left off.  

Start now! Take a Flostate Fitness Class today! Visit our Livestream Schedule or our On-Demand Library today to view classes.

Fitness Challenges Work…Here’s Why

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Fitness challenges have the potential to help people make lasting changes to their habits, physique, wellbeing and other physical and mental attributes such as sleep quality and mood. There are many ways that joining a challenge can benefit you, so should you do it? What makes them work and why should you participate?

Read on for why we think challenges are worth it every time. 

  • Challenges provide structure. Ever been to the gym and wondered what to do? Challenges provide structure such as a time-frame (6-weeks), workout parameters (30 min/day) and ways to measure success (# of workouts completed, body measurements, strength measurements). Structure is the backbone of the entire thing and without it, you are going nowhere quick. 
  • Challenges provide a specific plan. Whether that is the actual workout and/or nutrition plan or guidelines for what to do, you need a plan to follow. It takes out the guesswork so you know if you are on track or not.
  • Accountability is built in. We need to be on the hook by something or someone otherwise we may not follow through. With challenges, there is the support of the group, text support, email support, perhaps an in-person or virtual meeting..all of these things ensure you are not alone and instill a sense of not wanting to let others down.
  • Challenges are a great source of motivation! Either from the leaders themselves or the participants in the group. Feed off of each other, share tips, workout together and see how much better you feel and how excited you become to continue.
  • The Fun Factor. Challenges are fun! They add novelty and excitement to exercise when it can sometimes seem boring. Harness this and find the joy in the experience. 
  • Rewards and prizes! Challenges often involve rewards or prizes for completion or just for participating. Prizes can also help motivate people to keep going. Prizes sweeten the deal and make things fun. Another reason to say “yes” to a fitness challenge…you just might win!


The more of these elements you have provided for you within a challenge and the more these elements fill in areas that you struggle with, the better your chances of success! So sign up for that challenge and make the decision to go “all in”.

Ready to dive in? Visit Flostate’s Challenges page to find out more about our latest fitness challenges!

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The Flostate | PO Box 251155, Woodbury, MN 55125 | info@theflostate.com | 651-412-1778