Having a great set of washboard abdominals is more than just about looking good in a bathing suit. Yes, you will make a big impression on the beach with a six pack but a strong core will help you in other aspects of your life too.
Benefits of strong core muscles
A strong core helps with balance
Balance is not just important for acrobats to have. Everyone needs a good sense of balance to assist them in their everyday functioning. Fitness and health coach, Chris Freytag, explains more:
“Kinesthetic awareness, or the ability to know where your body parts are in three-dimensional space, is required for every movement we make. So it’s not surprising that balance can be learned, challenged, and improved.
“The agility and strength that comes with learning good balance helps us move smoothly and confidently every day, whether we are doing sports, playing with the kids, chasing down a taxi, or simply walking up the stairs. A good sense of balance and a strong awareness of where your body is in relation to the things around you can help you react quickly and prevent injuries and accidents.”
A well-trained core helps in alleviating lower back pain and improving posture
It’s been proven that people who don’t have a strong core are more at risk for lower back pain and/or poor posture. Why? Because if a person’s abdominal muscles are not strong they could end up straining their lower back because the core is not functioning to keep the person upright. Hence the lower back ends up doing most of the work. Poor posture will result because the person will end up with a rounded back because their core muscles are not playing their part in keeping the person upright.
A great Pilates exercise to do that will strengthen your lower back is the Basic Mat Pelvic Lift. This is how you perform this exercise:
- Lie on your back. Make sure that your arms are relaxed on either side of your body. The palms of your hands must be facing down. Your legs must be bent with the feet facing forwards.
- Inhale to prepare and connect your abdominals.
- As you exhale, pull into your abdominal muscles and slowly lift your torso off the mat one vertebra at a time. When you reach the pinnacle of the exercise, squeeze your glutes.
- Inhale and hold the pose.
- Exhale and slowly return your torso to the mat and feel each vertebra articulate onto the mat.
To watch a demonstration of this exercise, follow this link.
Good core strength can help you reach your fitness goals
In every single type of exercise – be it weight-lifting, spinning or water aerobics – core strength is vital as it helps you maintain the correct form. For example, in spinning when you perform running sprints out of the saddle a strong core helps you keep a good posture and get the most out of the exercise. If you didn’t have the benefit of a strong core, there is a very good chance that you could injure yourself badly.
One of the fundamental jobs of a Pilates teacher is to assist their students to develop a strong core. Trifocus Fitness Academy comprehensive Pilates certification is the perfect course to assist aspiring Pilates instructors to gain a good knowledge of Pilates. On this course you’ll learn about the various pieces of equipment that Pilates teachers have at their disposal, such as the basic ball and mat to the more advanced reformer, Cadillac and chair. You’ll also learn that the practice of Pilates is not about just getting a super core. It’s also about getting a full body workout with exercises such as the one-leg kick for your legs and the swimming exercise for your back muscles.
Contact Trifocus Fitness Academy
So if you’re passionate about Pilates and want to make teaching it to other Pilates aficionados, your career, get started with Trifocus Fitness Academy’s condensed Pilates course . When you sign up with us, you’ll enjoy umpteen benefits such as flexible learning (which you’ll get from our online learning system), a qualification that is fully accredited as well as a truly interactive and beneficial learning experience. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! So, what are you waiting for? Sign up today!
