Core Muscle Exercise

May 4, 2008

Did you know that there is a connection between muscle building and weight loss? Don’t worry, you don’t have to build up big body building style muscles. This is more about toning your body and how it can help you lose more weight every single day.

Core muscle exercises and strengthening  your core are all the rage in the fitness world right now and you may be tempted to dismiss these exercise regimens as simply the latest fad, but you should take a minute to find out exactly what your “core” is and how important it is to overall fitness.

The “core” of your body is a set of 29 muscles that surround your torso; specifically they include your abs, gluts, and back muscles. These muscles are very important because they surround your body’s center of gravity. Having a building up the core muscles improves posture, balance, and stability. Put your hand on someone’s abdominal or back muscles while they move (always get permission first), to feel first hand how important the core muscles are in almost every move we make. You should be able to feel these muscles working no matter what part of the body is moving.

Since it’s a bit tedious to do 29 separate exercises (one for each muscle), you can do core muscle exercises that target a group of core muscles at the same time. The best exercises for strengthening these muscles groups are the crunch, the bridge, the plank, and the quadruped. These exercises should be done slowly, focusing on doing them right and remaining control through the entire process. Remember that an exercise done right once is more helpful than doing it wrong twice.

For those of us that don’t have a lot of time on our hands, there are ways to work your core while you exercise the rest of your body. The best way to do this is by using an exercise ball. Doing exercise on a ball requires a lot of effort to stay balanced. Since the core is pivotal for staying balanced, you’ll work these muscles while you’re doing exercises for other parts of the body. These balls can be purchased at most stores that sell fitness equipment.

While you’re purchasing a ball, you should pick up an instructional tape or even sign up for a class to get you started. The most important part of doing these exercises is doing them correctly. You should focus on the form of the movements and proper posture. This will give you the most benefit from your workout.

Hopefully this information is enough to get you started. While it’s important to exercise all your muscles, paying extra attention to your core will allow you to work perform better with your whole body.

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Posted by admin | Filed Under Pilates at Home 

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