7 Practical Reasons to Work On Your Core

Core Workout
30 Mar

Last Updated on April 11, 2016 by Michael Brockbank

The core of your body is essentially the abdomen, obliques, chest and back. Of course this is depending on who you’re talking to. Some experts believe the core is nothing more than the abdomen. In any case, working on your core has a great deal of practical uses whether your a body builder or an arm wrestler. In reality, it doesn’t matter how much muscle you have on your arms if your core cannot sustain you.

Why Is It Important to Work on Core Muscle Groups?

You don’t have to be a body builder to appreciate the value of strengthening your core. While many of us may want to look ripped and be visually impressive, that’s not the only reason you would want to get more workout on these muscle groups.

  1. Resistance to Injury
    The healthier your body is, the more resistant you are to injuries. While adding more core exercises may not make you bullet proof, the development of muscle mass as well as enhanced body reaction greatly reduces the amount of damage you would sustain from various situations. For example, strengthening the back has potential to ease back pain – depending on what is wrong with your spine, that is.
  2. Improving Recovery
    A healthier body is also more likely to heal from injuries much faster. No one plans on breaking a rib in a car accident, but it does happen. The stronger your core, the better it can heal from such instances. You won’t have Wolverine’s healing factor, but you’ll spend less time in recovery even after some of the most debilitating injuries.
  3. Easier Chores Around the House
    One thing I noticed about myself when getting into shape is that some activities around the house seem to take less effort. I’ve mentioned in previous articles about picking up a 50-pound bag of dog food with ease from arm workouts. The same kind of situation can be experienced around the house by strengthening your core. Various activities are easier and you may find you have increased energy levels when cleaning around the house as well.
  4. Greater Endurance
    For me, running around after my children or doing things around the house can quickly sap energy. Once I started adding core workouts to my routine, I’ve found that I have far more energy to do various activities. This increased endurance was felt only after a couple of weeks of exercising. I didn’t have to look like a weight-training model in order to benefit from greater levels of energy. In fact, I was 260 pounds when I started to feel the boost.
  5. Saving Money
    From groceries to clothing, you can save a great deal of money by working on your core muscles. You’ll want to stay away from excessive foods which will reduce how much you spend at the store. Instead of buying new clothes, I have a bunch of older ones I would love to fit into. Some extra large clothing is even more expensive than a smaller size. It’s kind of like a trickle down effect where you wind up saving money in various ways in order to get healthy.
  6. Children
    The kids in school can be ruthless. I don’t want my daughters to be ashamed of what I look like or give bullies a reason to make fun of me. Personally, I don’t really care – if I did, I wouldn’t have ballooned up to 280 pounds. However, I want my children to be proud of me and not be worried about bringing friends over to the house. I want my children to have a thick skin, but I know what it’s like at their age to choose going over to someone’s house rather than have friends visit.
  7. Mental Boost
    Yeah, I know I said that getting ripped shouldn’t be your only motivator. However, it can be an incredible boost to your self-esteem. Having a better view of yourself can do a great deal for confidence. You might be happy at 250+ pounds, but imagine how you’d feel about yourself if you slimmed down your midsection. Personally, I just want to look like eye-candy for my wife and show all the women who turned me down what their missing. That’s probably not the best way to go about it, but living well is the best revenge in my opinion.

Working on strengthening your core doesn’t take a great deal of effort. In fact, there are multitudes of ways you can get started immediately with less than a half-hour per day. As long as you maintain a regular routine of exercises for your abs, obliques, chest and back, you can begin to feel and see the difference within a few weeks – as long as you have a good plan for eating. Don’t resolve yourself to be unhealthy. The work you put into your body now has the potential to improve a multitude of facets in your every day lifestyle tomorrow.

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