Core fitness is not obtained through ab work alone. The core is working constantly from helping you keep good posture, to keeping your body in alignment when climbing and running. Having good core strength not only helps tone your midsection, but also helps with overall training and performance.
Trainer workshops focus a lot on core fitness. It seems to be the one on everyone’s mind. Most athletes will strive for a toner physique and strengthened core. Sports training exercise programs always include core fitness into their regimen. This does not mean that they focus on abs. They focus on engaging the core muscles while doing their workouts and will build upon those core muscles to help lengthen them and keep them firing during training. Runners who have good core fitness also have a faster average running speed than other athletes with a weak core. Core fitness is part of their speed quickness training. This carries into other sports as well, such as triathlons and tennis.
Even anaerobic exercises such as a lat. pull down attributes to core fitness. Your core muscles have to engage to keep good posture and form while performing the lat. pull down motion. Without having a strong core, the back tries to arch in an unnatural position which can lead to pulled muscles and injury. Even the actions and movements for the bench press rely on core fitness to keep the back straight and in good alignment.
Of course you could strengthen the core using traditional Ab exercises, but engaging the core using other activities provides a more functionally fit option. Having a strong core and help you with balance and agility. This is important for adults as they age and lose some of their balance and agility. Core fitness can help maintain higher quality of life in those later years and keep adults independent and active. Having a strong core can also help prevent falls though functional training.
Focus on engaging your core muscles when you work out and don’t be afraid to try to exercises. Core fitness isn’t just for abs! A personal trainer can help demonstrate any new moves that you want to learn and can monitor your form to make sure you are doing it correctly. Form is the key to building core strength.
