The Truth about Your Core and its Role in Total Fitness
Core strength. Core stability. Five days – or weeks – to a stronger core. Training buzzwords come and go, and if you spend your time and money following even a few of them you will soon be out of both time and money. However, sometimes a new fad with its corresponding buzzwords seems to stick around; changing the way we think, speak and work out. The ‘core’ craze seems to be one of these – and with very good reason.
This ‘core’ is made up of the deep, strong, inner-most muscles of your abdominal area and spine. They are involved in virtually every voluntary body movement. They support and protect your major organs and give them room to function. The stronger your core the better your posture will be.
A strong core will support your spine and tends to lessen back, shoulder and leg pain you might tend to experience otherwise. It will increase your stamina and energy levels. And very important to a lot of us, the strength of your core muscles goes a long way towards keeping your metabolism going strong and helping you lose weight.
It’s no wonder that core and whole body training is gaining popularity among serious athletes and the general public as well. And the best part is that core training can be done with just a little training and a few pieces of inexpensive equipment.
In fact, you can get a very good start with no equipment at all. Just a good set of stretching exercises and the weight of your arms and legs can get you well on your way to a strong, stable core.
However, if you want a little assistance, you can find a stability ball and stretching bands all for less than fifty dollars – complete with exercises. You can even work on your core by sitting on a stabilizer ball while you’re on the computer or watching TV.
There are also tons of great core exercises on the web, explained by doctors and physical therapists and illustrated with excellent photos and even videos. Great equipment retail sites exist all over the web, often offering free newsletters and e-books with lots of great information.
Also, many magazines post their exercise articles online and include great illustrations. Give core training a try. You’ll be looking and feeling better in no time!
Erin Smart is a nature and fitness enthusiast who loves to garden and hike with her family. She uses her exercise ball in her exercise and yoga routines as well as for just sitting around. You can find out more about exercise balls and sign up for her newsletter at http://www.exerciserballs.com.
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