Want To Get Really Fit? Focus On Your Core

Over the years, I’ve tried many different workouts, from standard fitness DVDs to the hardcore extremes of P90X. And, the best ones all have one thing in common: they improve your core strength.

With a stronger core, the rest is easy. OK, perhaps not easy – but certainly easier. Building up those important muscles gives you an increased inner strength. It also allows you to push yourself further than you have ever been before.

It improves your posture and helps you get up from a couch in one fluid movement, rather than having to push yourself with your hands. Simple things, yes. But boy, will you notice them.

Today, I thought I would put a little focus on core strength, and come up with some suggestions for you to improve your abs, upper legs and glutes. Try them out – it might just help with all other aspects of your fitness.

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Diet and nutrition

Diet is essential to building a stronger core, so make sure you are eating the right foods. Eggs, lean meat, and fish such as tuna are all protein-rich, and can help you build muscle faster. It’s also worth getting the healthiest protein powders you can find, just to give you that extra boost.

Don’t starve yourself of carbohydrates, either. It’s worth cutting back to stop you storing too much energy, but you will need enough to give you enough zip to complete your workouts.

Go under water

Here’s a little tip for you. If you have no core strength at all, try getting into the water first. You will find that the water supports your movements, and you will be able to do much more exercise because of it.

You can find an excellent guide over at Fitness Magazine to get you started. All those movements you will make will all make a difference, and even if you can’t feel it right away, you’ll certainly get the burn afterward!

Embrace the crunch

Once you built up your strength a little in the pool, you can bring the pain back to the shore. And your first port of call should be the good old-fashioned crunch. Get started by lying on the floor with your feet placed on a wall at a 90-degree angle.

Now just lift your head and shoulders off the ground and towards your knees, pause, and slowly go down again. Repeat for as long as you can take it, or, if you want to make headway, even longer.

Be Super

Now you have built up a lot of core strength; you can start to fine tune things even more. The perfect answer for that is the Superman. It’s easy enough – at first. But the more you do it, the harder it gets. All you need to do is lie flat on the ground with your arms stretched out.

Then it’s just a case of lifting your arms and legs until only the slightest amount of your stomach is touching the ground. You will know when you are doing it right when you start sweating. Or crying.

There you have it – and I haven’t even mentioned the plank yet. Maybe we’ll save that for another time! Good luck!

What’s your favorite core-building exercise?