Core Fitness Training Tips and Advice

As someone who has always been into fitness and nutrition I only just recently truly understood the importance of core fitness. Many of us do weight training and aerobic type exercises such as running and walking but without doing core strength training exercises you will not get the proper balance needed for a strong and healthy body.

Core strength training is nothing new and in fact athletes from all over the world have been doing it for centuries. What I didn’t realize however was just how important and beneficial core training is for every person… not just for athletes.

What is the Core?

The core is between your hips and your ribcage and contains about thirty different muscles. Your core bridges the connection between your upper and lower body and helps them to work together. You use your core in every single move that you make and a strong core supports the entire body and allows the body to function properly as well as have good balance and stability.

How Important is the Core?

A personal trainer once told me that the regular weight training that I was doing (which included bicep and tricep curls) was simply for aesthetics. He said real strength comes from the core. In other words you can lift as many weights as you like but if you ignore your core you will never have true strength and stability.

Core training is the single most important exercise you can do. It can benefit any person at any age and keep the body young, strong and balanced.

Make Core Training Fun

Core training does not have to simply mean endless amounts of boring sit-ups. You can get a tremendous amount of core training simply from enjoying the outdoors. Outdoor recreation is always a fun and easy way to get fit and enjoy nature at its best.

Kayaking is my exercise of choice for building my core muscles. Many people mistakenly think that kayaking works only your arms, shoulders and back. In fact the majority of your strength while paddling comes strictly from your core muscles. If you want a stronger core, kayaking is a great way to build your middle muscles while enjoying the benefits of outdoor recreation.

Besides kayaking there are many different activities that will build a strong core including:

Pilates
Yoga
Hiking
Skiing
Tennis
Volleyball
Exercise ball training
And many specific core training exercises

With consistent core training you will find as time goes on that your core will become much stronger, your muscles will become tighter, your waist will become leaner and every move you make in your normal day to day life will become stronger and more balanced.

Strong Core = Good Balance

Stability and balance are the main factors for all athletic performance. Balance comes from your core and if your core is weak your body will not function properly. Building a strong middle will not only create good balance and stability but also a fit and lean body.

Making core training part of your daily fitness routine will help you create a far more balanced, healthy and stronger body that will bring about numerous health and fitness benefits. The results are worth it!