One of the supposed pinnacles of fitness is to have 6 pack abs or a lean stomach, and to do that you gotta do a million a half sit ups or something crazy. (you don’t). having abs is GREAT but it is not the point or end all be all of fitness.
this is not a post about how to get abs, cause to be quite honest, I don’t have a 6 pack or any version of one. 6 packs are largely genetic and then come from a low amount of bodyfat (which means a pretty strict diet). And since I don’t have the abs like that I’m not gonna write about it.
this post is about is having a strong core… which you can have without a 6 pack and it is definitely something everyone should strive for.
So what is core strength?
It is the strength of the underlying muscles of the torso. That is your stomach area muscles and your back muscles. Basically…the entire middle of your body is your core.
Why is core strength important?
SO MANY REASONS!
let me layout a few:
- helps prevents injuries – core strength creates core stability which means you’ll be safer moving throughout your workouts and life.
- protects your internal organs and nervous system – if you have a weak core, your body is more susceptible to harm, and one of the biggest part of your body is your spine and spinal cord. leaving the muscles that surround that highly important part of your body leaves it open for injury
- prevents back pain – legitimately the largest reason why I do so much core workouts. i injured my back a lot throughout middle school up through college playing goalkeeper in college which has definitely led to more back issues in my adult life. i threw my back out entirely… to the point that I was limping around work when I was TWENTY-FOUR. after that I did core strengthening workouts 2-4 times a week and I have not had any back pain since incorporating that into my training routine.
- helps posture – if you strengthen the entire middle of your body, you’ll be sitting up much stronger and taller.
- improve your balance – as you build your core strength and your posture, you’ll be able to move easier throughout life and be able to stand up strong and fall over as easy as you would with no core strength.
- perform life easier – you probably don’t realize that you use your core very often in your day to day… let me inform you that you do. you are (or at least should be) using your core muscles throughout your entire day and when you have a strong core your life will be easier.
- perform sports at a higher level – your core is where your power comes from. so it makes sense that as you strengthen those core muscles, you’ll be able to run faster, punch harder, and kick stronger.
okay! how do I get a stronger core??
good news! it’s not a bunch of sit ups. actually, I never do regular sit ups because they aren’t that great for you and also they hurt my lower back.
here are some exercises you should be incorporating into your workouts:
- russian twist
- plank
- and plank variations
- heel taps
- mountain climbers
- jack knives
- toe taps
- suitcase crunch
- leg lifts
- bird dogs
- cable twists
- glute bridges
- turkish get ups
just to name a few 😊
need some help getting started? Follow me on Instagram and facebook where I post workouts and health and fitness articles every day!
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