Let’s rewind a little less than two years ago. I was just beginning my weight loss journey and was convinced that cardio was the only way to go. I didn’t need any of that other stuff, right? Right. (Read with sarcasm.)
I came home one day after work in a hurry. It was 5:20 p.m., and I had to be at bowling at 6. The alley is all the way on the other side of town, and it takes me almost 40 minutes to get there at this time of day. So, I ran in the house really quick, threw my keys on the couch, ran back to my bedroom, changed clothes, ran back, bent down to pick up my keys, and-whoa, I thought. Now there’s a new kind of hurt.
It felt like I had pulled something, but it didn’t really hurt. Being the dummy that I was, I went to the bowling alley anyway, stretched, and decided to bowl anyway. Oh, and that night, I had to bowl six games, not the usual three.
I didn’t make it all six. By the time the fifth rolled around, I couldn’t even pick up my ball. I had thrown out my back. What the hell? I was working out, right?
For the two days that I stared at the ceiling in my bedroom (I didn’t have a laptop back then.), I thought about how weak my core really was. Right there on my bed, I decided to change that. Weeks later, after my back was fully healed, I began core training.
What is your core? Your core is so much more than your abs. It’s basically your whole trunk, and you use it every.single.day. In everything you do. Whether it’s putting away the groceries, or giving the kids a bath, or even picking up your keys. Your core is so important, so why wouldn’t you want to work on your core strength?
I found a great page at SparkPeople that has excellent examples of core exercises. Go here to check them out! (Go ahead, I’ll be here when you get back!)
Pilates and Yoga are also great core work outs. When I started strengthening my core, I began with pilates (I know you’re shocked!) And every now and then, I’ll stick my pilates DVD in, but I found that I enjoy exercises like the ones on the SparkPeople page more. I think this is because for some reason, I enjoy putting my body through pain. Especially with plank exercises.
Now it’s your turn. Do you work on strengthening your core? If so, what are your favorite core exercises? If not, why? You should! Don’t throw your back out doing something really hard like picking up your keys off the couch like I did!
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