What does it mean to you to be fit? Do you want to see marathon athletes pound the pavement for 26 miles? On a floor routine, a gymnast scores a perfect “10”? They’re lifting twice their bodyweight in the gym?
Fitness can mean many things to different individuals, but it is most commonly associated with your ability to do physical tasks quickly. This includes things like running a 5K, dragging huge grocery bags into your house, and even playing 18 holes of golf without being weary or out of breath – or waking up hurt and sore the next day.
The foundation of good fitness is your core. Your ability to do practically every activity on a daily basis, including getting out of bed, working at a desk, and walking your dog, is influenced by the durability and flexibility of your core muscles.
The cornerstone for physical exercise is your body’s core. It allows you to move around more fluidly and have more strength and power in your movements when the muscles that make up your center are strong. Abdominal muscles may help you with everything from getting out of a seated position to jogging and stretching to backhanding a tennis ball back at your opponent. A strong core is necessary for stability and may even prevent you from falling.
It suggests you’re more suited to occupations requiring you to stretch, reach, and extend your body. Have you ever painted the inside of your house? Your core stabilizes and supports you while you bend and squat to reach the trim, use a roller to smooth paint in an up-and-down motion, and stretch to reach the highest niches of your area.
Many more reasons to strengthen your core are listed in the following infographic, as well as five basic exercises to assist you do so.
