Improve your Core Strength

Often when people think about getting in shape, they turn to cardio fitness. They think - if I run more, I'll lose weight. This strategy falls short in several ways - the most common cardio activities, such as running or jogging, are pretty tough on the joints, and upping your cardio leads to fat loss, but no muscle gain. Muscle is the Midas gold of exercise - the more muscle you have, the more calories you burn (even when you're not working out). 

Over the past few years, you  may have heard "sitting is the new smoking". And what makes sitting even worse? Poor posture. Staring at your phone or computer can give you tech neck, leads to rounding of the upper back and shoulders, and weakened abdominal and back muscles. The answer? Core strengthening! 

Whether you have a exercise regime in place and are looking for new activities to spice it up, or want to jump right in, we'll talk about several activities that are not only great to strengthen your torso muscles, but fun, too. 

Gymnastics

There are a lot of different types of gymnastics, but most of them will provide your core muscles with a fantastic workout. Just take a look at all of those athletes who compete on the rings - they need to hold their whole body up using just their arm muscles and abdominals, so there is no wonder they have rock-hard abs! If you want to give gymnastics a go, you can always try it out at chelseapiers.com. It’s worth starting with something easier that gives you the chance to build up your core strength, such as floor exercises or the vault.

Rock Climbing

Rock climbing also engages your body’s core for balance and the strength to support your own weight. Even better,  you will find that strong abs support strong arms. There's different types of rock climbing, from indoor walls to bouldering (no harness required). Before you do try rock climbing for the first time, it’s worth checking out climbthatrock.com to find out about the kind of safety gear you will need. It’s always best to be safe than sorry! More interested in "gym climbing" (indoor)? Check out this article on the basics from REI.

Yoga

If you think yoga is just a stretching class, you'll be sorely disappointed. Holding prolonged positions while stretching your muscles, and focusing on your breathing, activates your body's core muscles throughout the entire routine. Even just doing a few Sun Salutations each day will help you build on your strength - after all, holding the plank position and then doing a few push ups is actually quite hard work, no matter how easy it may look! After a few months of practicing yoga, you will find that both your core strength and balance will have greatly improved!

Swimming

Did you know that swimming engages your core muscles?  As a result, every length that you do in the pool is a great way to work these muscles and help improve your core strength. And if you're surprised with how hard swimming is, know that the more you swim, the stronger you'll become...and the better you'll be at swimming! 

As you can see, there are quite a few different sports and activities that can help you work on your core strength. Take your pick!