Why is it so important to train your core?
It’s like a cannon on a canoe…
Personal Trainer Andy Adams Explains…
Since Andy built the August Fitness challenge around slimming the waist and improving core strength, I thought it was important to find out why.
What is the most common misconception about core strength?
When most people talk about the “core” they think of the typical six pack abs plastered on the front of some model. Instead, we should think about the core as a 360-degree area from the hips to the shoulders.
What can improved core strength do for us?
Core strength has an effect on just about every other aspect of the body, not just a flat stomach.
Your core is a natural corset made of muscle surrounding your midline and squeezing in. This corset does some really important things for your body. It acts as a brace to keep the spine in alignment, improves posture, and pulls the abdominal wall inward to reduce the waist circumference. Also, the core acts as the synchronizer between the upper and lower body, improving coordination and athletic performance while reducing the risk of injury. A strong core can also have subtle effects like improving breathing and gastrointestinal function.
Why is it important for health and fitness?
What this does is it provides a stable base for the upper and lower extremities to function, especially during powerful total body movements. Imagine you are trying to fire a powerful cannon from the water, would you rather be in a canoe or a battleship?
What can we do to improve this, even if we aren’t getting into the gym?
Try to incorporate these little exercises into your day and make a habit of performing them any chance you get, consistency and repetition is the key to improvement.
First, you could do the August Fitness Challenge! It is great for someone not used to training their core, and in a month gain a lot of strength.
Sit on a yoga ball at your desk to engage the core throughout the day. Don’t have a ball, perform a little leg lift at your desk, using your lower abs to lift your feet off the ground and hold for 10 seconds. (Check out our blog on Deskerscising )
While you’re stuck in traffic or commuting to work try flexing and tightening your abs, hold for at least 10 seconds.
Next time you’re watching tv, get on the ground and perform some crunches/sit-ups/ or a plank, you might as well multitask with something that is going to be positive for you.
Big thanks to Andy Adams for taking time out this week to educate us!!
