It's all in the core

Did you know that when you neglect your core, you develop poor posture that leads to injury, tightness, poor range of motion, difficulty in performing regular everyday tasks like bending over to pick up a basket of laundry, etc.? And did you know that when you neglect your core, the weak muscles need help so other muscles have to pick up the slack resulting in injury, soreness, poor balance, and loss of motion? And did you know that strengthening your core can alleviate low back pain?

Even when we are on a fitness program, we don't always give our core the attention it needs to perform its best. This can be especially true if you are one that relies on the nautilus equipment. Free weights engage the core so much more than that equipment. I am not a fan of it. Also, it's designed to fit the "average" sized person, whatever that means.... If you prefer to do weights, use the free weights and a stability ball or stand when you can.

Our core is our center. Without out a strong core, little things start to become challenging in our day to day lives. The problem with losing strength in the core, is that it's a gradual thing that you don't notice until its pretty far gone. The good news, you can fix it.

Don't get me wrong. You shouldn't place all of your focus on strengthening your core. You need a good balance. My point is to stop neglecting it and realize that if you are having any of the issues I listed above, a weak core is most likely to blame.

There are MANY core strengthening movements that you can experiment with. If you need suggestions, there are numerous example online. YouTube even has demonstrations on how to perform exercises. Never do anything that causes pain. Listen to your body. If it hurts, skip it and move on to something else. But whatever you do....don't neglect your core.

I will be taking a break from writing through Christmas. Try to stay focused and don't let yourself get off track. Get some exercise and don't eat everything in sight. Have a great Christmas!