Building a strong core

You know how buildings need a strong foundation to stand.. Well, Our bodies needs a strong core to stand too! I'm not just talking about training our abs ("six-pack hurray!"), real core training is so much more. Improving posture, enhancing coordination, athletic performance and improved functional capacity is all related to having a strong core. It is even said to be the key component to fitness...

A building might have 100 floors and a cool structure to it, but it does not have the ability to jump and dance around.  I love dancing. Silly dancing, zumba dancing, salsa...!
There is a million of little important things happening inside our middle, around our core. Our abdominal muscles get the credit for protecting our back, but fact is that it`s only a tiny part of what makes up the core. There`s a whole bunch of other muscles playing a part in the foundation for movement.

The core is defined as the structure of the body that run from the shoulders down to the pelvis. All these joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments and bones work together to stabilize the body. When our spine is aligned well, the center of gravity can manage the physical forces presented to the body. When misaligned, the body must make adjustments in order to compensate, creating a stress and waste of energy = Weak and unbalanced core muscles are linked to lower back pains.

So if you do experience back pains, but you want to start working out to get your core strong, please talk to your doctor before you start doing anything. In case of injuries or whatever, just handle your body with care! If you feel like you should be training and gaining some strength in your body then here are my suggestions...

Core training can be done in so many ways, including standing, on a sticky mat and on a stability ball. Classes like Pilate`s, yoga, Zumba and other cardio classes is a great resource for training our core. But it can also easily be done at home. Yey! While working on it make sure you breath deeply as it activates deep abdominal muscles and aid in stabilization to perform exercises efficiently and safely - so make sure you utilize breathing patterns and deep breathing.
for example > lay on the floor facing down, hands and feet stretched out in a "swimmer" position - do light pushes. Try doing 3 repetitions of 10, end with one where you hold to failure.

To sum it up - don't forget about your core! It is crucial to our functioning - especially if you plan on dancing on tables when your retired. Woop!