Core training

Why is this so important I hear you ask… well let me tell you.

Your core is the link between the upper and lower body, everything we do involves your core. From the most mundane task of getting dressed in the morning; or mopping the floor; looking behind you as someone calls out your name, all of this uses your core.

What are the core muscles? (without getting too technical)

Abdominal muscles – They are the transverse abdominis (the most important muscle), which stabilizes your spine and pelvis, this is the deepest layer of abdomen muscle. Then you have two layers of oblique muscles (side muscles) which help with side bends, rotation, and other spinal movements. Finally, we have the “six-pack” muscle, the rectus abdominis. This is located vertically in the front of your abdomen. It flexes your torso forward, like in a crunch.

Pelvic Floor muscles – These provide support to the pelvis and spine. Working along side the multifidus (muscle that helps take pressure of the vertebra spine) diaphragm and deep abdominals. The pelvic floor is also part of the intrinsic core.

The Back muscles (Erector spinae) – These extend your trunk help you to stand up right after bending over.

The Diaphragm – Part of your intrinsic core and working close with the deep abdominals help you to breath deeply especially when doing cardio and running for long durations.

You can see by their functions, how they help you to get out of bed in the morning and brush your hair. If your core is weak, other parts of your body will start to have aches and pains as they are taking the strain. Learning how to activate your core muscles for your everyday tasks will reduce the risk of having back pain, one of the most common causes of a weak core. This does not mean you have to do hundreds of crunches a day. One or two core exercises of around 7-10 minutes a day will help you see an improvement in 30 days.

If a six pack is your desire – you already have that! It’s hidden behind a lot of indulging moments. This will be revealed when you do exercises that will help you lower your body fat levels, like cardio and resistance training.

If you are looking to improve on your core strength this can be done with as little as 3 easy exercises. Get in touch and I will help you

Thank you for reading and lets get stronger together!

Carmien, Fitness Forties