Getting to The CORE

The Importance of Core Strength Training is highly undervalued. It’s not just about looking good in a bikini, core training is an essential element of the wellness lifestyle, injury prevention and aging gracefully. Without core strength we are actually putting our bodies at a great disadvantage by not setting ourselves up for optimal performance in our daily activities. There are endless ways to begin incorporating core strength and conditioning and it won’t break the bank or steal away your time.

The area of the body, commonly referred to as the “core”, is your midsection, a dynamic set of muscles that involves not only the front abdominals but also your back, your glutes and the entire area that connects to your spinal cord helping your body support your spine. The core includes the traverse abdominis, (TVA), erector spinae (running down the mid-back), obliques (side waist) and your lower lats (below shoulder blades). These muscles work as stabilizers for the entire body. Core training is simply doing specific exercises to develop and strengthen these stabilizer muscles. A movement that works your core is going to work more than one muscle group, and you’re going to see results much faster.

As we initiate activity, the core plays a huge factor in stability and spinal protection. Simply put, all movement starts from the core. If any of these core muscles are weakened, it could result in lower back pain or other related compensations where larger muscles are forced to take over, leading to overuse injury. Keeping these core muscles strong will improve your posture and support your other exercises like running, walking and swimming.

Our waistline is made in the kitchen, so in order to lose those extra layers we need to modify our nutritional intake and start exercising the whole body. Getting to the core of transformation requires a combination of fitness and nutrition. Success in one does not exist without the other.  They go hand-in-hand, success in one cannot exist without the other. Find a nutritionist that will breakdown the basics for you and begin to incorporate that into your daily intake. Although it takes aerobic activity to burn abdominal fat, core exercises will strengthen and tone the underlying muscles. Improving your core strength by introducing instability and stabilization exercises into your workouts is the first step.
 
Try these Instability & Core Stabilization Exercises:

1) Table Top Tuck & Reach:

2) Bosu Ball Squat:

3) Plank Hold:

I invite you to join me for a private fitness training session or group boot camp to see what great things will come from some dedication and consistency in the gym. I look forward to seeing you soon to offer you fitness tips and core exercises you can do at home! I hope you consider including core exercises in the mix to help you reach your fitness goals.

Andrea Woodhall
Holistic Fitness Trainer @ Woodhall Wellness