Be Fit: Developing a Strong and Solid Core Can Make All the Difference

Last week’s column brought up the fact that spot reduction is a myth. 

tSpecifically, I used the example of doing crunches and sit-ups and expecting to reduce body fat from your midsection. 

That said, I’m not suggesting you never do any exercises to strengthen your abs—only that those exercises alone won’t shed the bulge. 

I'm a big proponent of core training. Many people narrowly define the core to mean the abs, but your core is basically your entire midsection with exception of your extremities. 

Developing a strong and solid core makes a huge difference with your functional ability. Every movement you make—every step, every turn, lift, bend, and reach—engages your core muscles. 

There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of exercises to develop core stability and strength. Several of my past articles have focused on planks and variations of planks. 

Today, I would like to introduce another core exercise. 

The responsibility of your abs is not to bring your ribcage and hips together, as in a crunching movement. Instead, their responsibility is to resist that motion along with forward to back flexion and extension and twisting, or rotation.

Imagine your core as a spring. That spring always wants to remain in one position. Bend it to the side and it snaps back in place. That’s the job of your core muscles, too. They’re trying to keeping the body in place.  A strong spring will do a better job than a weak spring. 

Today’s exercise is a core rotation. This exercise can be performed using a cable machine at your local Bolingbrook fitness center or using a resistance band looped around a stationary object. 

Watch the video to learn the proper way to perform this exercise. Remember to keep the arms away from the body to get the maximum affect of the weight. Draw the hands too close and you lose the benefit to your core. 

Add this exercise to your program and watch for more core training ideas to build a strong foundation.