Hey there Fitfriends! Happy Friday!
On Workout Wednesday, I talked the most deceptive ab exercise and gave you a challenge to go along with it.
Did you take the challenge?
That’s also an experiment.
I didn’t mention that on Wednesday, whoops.
My hypothesis is that if you Suck-It-Up every day, and add :05 seconds every other day, on day fourteen, you will be able to Suck-It-Up :10-:20 seconds longer than the day before. I have no idea if my hypothesis will be proven. But the cool thing about this little experiment is, even IF it’s not that dramatic, you still win by gaining core strength, which is what I want to talk to you about today.
Why core strength is so important. Um… Well… Because you need it for just about everything, you do. Really. Your core connects your upper and lower body so essentially any movement with any part of your body is connected to your core. Everyday tasks like bending over to get your shoes, picking up the baby, even sitting in a chair requires you to use your core. A strong core enhances balance and stability so it can help prevent injuries, it also improves your posture, and will help with back pain. Considering that four out of five Americans suffer from low back pain at some point int heir lives this can help you alleviate or prevent lower back pain. (1)
BUT when I say your core I’m not talking about the muscles you can see; six-pack muscles (Rectus abdominis), I’m talking about the muscles underneath those. The ones that keep your organs, central nervous system and spine protected your Transverse Abdominis.
But in order for it to do all those it needs to be strong. The best ways to train your core are using doing the standing vacuum, sucking-it-up, and planks. Yes, there are more advanced exercises but a lot of them you need some core strength already established or the ability to suck in your stomach while doing other stuff with your hands or legs. The 14-day challenge is the perfect place to start. It doesn’t matter if you can only suck-it-up for a short amount of time, it was more than yesterday and it’ll be less than in a couple of days from now and it will prepare you for the next level.
Make sure to stop by next Wednesday a lesson on Planks!
That’s it for this week!
Have a great weekend!
~emmy
Sources:
2. DisSanto, Bryan. “Plank Your Way To Better Abs With These 5 Variations” Lean It Up, Oct 7, 2012,
http://www.leanitup.com/plank-your-way-to-better-abs-with-these-5-variations/
