A Healthy Core Leads to a Strong Body!
My Personal Training clients often come to me with their #1 goal being to shrink and strengthen their abs. Building a strong core is a great goal because these muscles are part of every activity you do. They keep your spine safe and your body aligned when you’re sitting, standing and lying down. You use them when you’re walking, cleaning, running errands, playing with your kids and while working out. Click here to learn what muscles the ‘core’ consists of; there are probably more muscles involved than you think.
My favourite 3 Core Exercises
- The Plank. The best exercise to strengthen your core is the plank! Not only does the plank target the abdominal muscles, it also strengthens your back and chest. Even your legs have to do some work. There are so many different ways to perform the plank, in the video below, I show you a couple of variations. Make it your mission to try a plank variant during every one of your workouts!
- Superman + 2 front elbows, 2 back elbows. I love this version of the Superman because it not only works your low back and glute muscles, it also engages your upper back.
- Plank Twists. This exercise starts out in my favourite core position, the plank. By dropping your hips from side-to-side, you engage the muscles in your lower, side back. These muscles aren’t used much, so you will probably feel this exercise working right away.
Watch my video to see what these 3 exercises look like:
After you’ve mastered these exercises, give a few of these additional core exercises a try. They come recommended from one of my fitness counterparts, Mark Williams.
Abs are Partially Made in the Kitchen
It’s important to realize you can have really strong abs without a visible 6-pack. The fat that resides on your stomach has a lot to do with what you eat, in addition to the strength of your abdominals. Limiting junk food and eating a diet rich in vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats will definitely help flatten your stomach. Regardless of the size of your waistline, having a strong, well exercised core is extremely important for your posture, balance, and overall body strength.
Salads can be healthy and low in calories but a few ingredients can make them very fattening.
To Sum it Up…
It’s great that many people want to shrink and strengthen their abs. A strong core helps keep the rest of your body safe and properly aligned. Try the 3 exercises above, to help you build core strength so that you’re able to enjoy more life! Please share your favourite core exercise in the space below, I would love to here from you.