By Andre Prue
Certified Personal Trainer Pilates. Piloga. Yogalates. They sound like something you might order at the local coffee house. But what these fashionable fitness practices have in common is that they focus on strengthening the core muscles (a.k.a. the internal belt, the center, the powerhouse). The core muscles include the abdominals, lower back, hips and buttocks. (see figure 1). Having a strong core eases stress on the extremities, improves posture, gives your body a nice long, lean look and enables you to perform everyday activities and sports more efficiently. Gaining strength in your core requires a conscious effort. You must literally make yourself skinny. Sucking your stomach in to make your waist small will do just that. The muscle required to make this happen is the transverse abdominis. Everyone knows about the rectus abdominis (the front of your stomach) and the obliques (the sides), the transverse wraps around them all like a belt. As you contract the transverse your posture should straighten up. You can start strengthening your core this very second. Exercise equipment and personal trainers are not required to get started. All day, every day, for as long as you can, contract those muscles. The more you practice, the easier it will be to maintain good posture. Soon, it will become habit. When you pass a store window and see your reflection, remind yourself, “Suck in that core!” When you are sitting on the metro, correct that slouch pull your shoulders back and pull in that core. Many make the mistake of filling the lungs with air to achieve the vacuum. The contraction is much like stopping yourself from going to the bathroom and is felt at the pelvis. Your breathing should remain normal. Whenever you exercise you should maintain normal breathing. Getting oxygen to the body speeds recovery and increases endurance. At the gym, you can add core stability to your routine by performing ordinary exercises on the BoSu, a stability ball or even a mat. For example, when doing bicep curls, tricep extensions, lateral raises, squats, etc., stand on the BoSu (see figure 2). Adding an unstable surface forces you to engage your core, strengthening those muscles and improving balance. Even sitting on a stability ball while doing a basic bicep curl will activate those core muscles making a simple exercise much more valuable. At home, you can watch t.v. while sitting on a stability ball instead of slumped on the couch. Exchange your desk chair for a stability ball (make sure you get the proper size to make desk work comfortable). The challenge is a difficult one. We sit at computers, eat, drive, watch television, walk and stand with poor posture and changing habits is hard to do. Give it what you can, when you can, for how long you can. When you are ready, take your individual program to the next level try out a pilates or piloga class or work with a trainer. But for a start, anything is better than nothing. Andre Prue and J.J. Kunkle are personal trainers at Prue’s Premier Personal Training (3PT). www.3pt.biz