Fit For Life: It’s All About The Core…

Fit For Life: It’s All About The Core…

I heard one of my mentors give this great analogy:  if you lift weights or strength train with a weak core, it’s like firing a cannon from a canoe.  Think about it!  Or, I say, it’s like building a fortress on sandbags.  

I see it daily:  Guys in the gym killing themselves for an hour, then get on some “ab” machine, or do a few minutes of crunches and then go home.  Sure, they can look great, from a distance.  But when you look closer you notice the forward head tilt, the weight belts, the rounded shoulders, etc.  These guys are guaranteed to acquire back pain due to the lack of core strength and stability.  

If you are a golfer or waiter with lower back pain, it’s usually due to instability of the core.  Having a strong core requires two things - 1) proper nutrition, and 2) proper training technique.  When your mid-section is properly conditioned, you not only look better - you stand taller, lift heavier weights (if that is part of your goal), and perform your daily activities better and with less injury.  All core routines should consist of abdominal and lower back training using movements in a multi plainer range of motion.

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My 86 year old client is always saying: if I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself. And I tell her that its never too late to show improvement, as I persuade her to do her dead lifts, and squats. Yes that's right, squats and dead lifts at 86. Chair aerobics and 1lb weights will not help improve balance, strength, and stability, for this population. Lets not forget that older bodies need to move, push, pull, and lift, just like the rest of us, only slower and with some modifications. This is why all the same rules apply, just with a little more conservative approach. Strengthening the core will increase stability and balance and go a long way to preventing injury and falls.

So, if you intend to live a long life, let’s make it a healthy one by starting now.
Again, set your goals – and regardless of what they are – bulking up, having less injuries and strain, looking great, or being in your best condition, remember, it’s all about THE CORE – regardless of what else you do.

Matt Espeut, GoLocal's Health & Lifestyle Contributor has been a personal trainer and health & fitnesss consultant for over 25 years. He is the owner of Fitness Profiles, a one on one, and small group personal training company, as well as Providence Fit Body Boot Camp, located at 1284 North Main St., on the Providence/Pawtucket line. You can reach Matt at (401) 453-3200; on Facebook at "Matt Espeut", and on Twitter at @MattEspeut. "We’re all in this life together – let’s make it a healthy one!"