Health & Fitness
What Is My Core And Why Do I Have To Strengthen It?
Your core is more than just your abs — and here's why you should care.
These days all you hear about is the importance of strengthening your 'core.' It is the fitness buzzword.
But is your core? And does it have to be strong (other than we all want to fit into those size 4 skinny jeans)?
Your core by definition is "muscles of both the abdominals and lower back. These muscles are essential to maintaining good posture, back support and balance." The muscles that make up the core provide stabilization for your entire body.
According to The Invisible Gym, "many ailments stem from having weak core muscles. You may be personally acquainted with the most common ailment...lower back pain. Other problems include poor posture, being injury prone, having minimal strength and (drum roll please) a bulging waistline."
But crunches alone won't strengthen your core. Rather, you need a host of exercises that work everything from your from your hips to your shoulders. According to The Best Core Exercises, "Core exercises are most effective when they engage many muscles throughout the torso that cross several joints and work together to coordinate stability. Core muscles need to work as a unit, contract at the same time, across joints in order to stabilize the spine."
Remember the Plank Challenge we did last month? That works the core!
Pilates, barre classes, Reformer — all these classes offered by Beyond the Barre will work your core. Check out our website today!
