You’ve seen it before: Fitness programs promising six-pack abs in four weeks and workout classes guaranteeing a flat stomach. While we know that working our core is a good thing, the benefits go way beyond the surface.
A STRONG CORE IS MORE THAN STRONG ABS
When working your core most people think of the front of the body however along with the abdominals, we include and strengthen the postural muscles in our backs, the lats, hamstrings, glutes, and chest.
A STRONG CORE PREVENTS INJURY
When we train the core in our hot Pilates HIIT, we focus on spinal stabilization when the spine is under what we call a “load.” A load is when your abs, glutes, or back body is under stress. when that happens, our goal is to keep the spine rigid, stable, and protected.
Strengthening your core gives your spine a structurally sound system allowing it to support that load. It’s sometimes referred to as a cable system, and that’s when your lats and your glutes come into play. It’s like a giant telephone poll – there’s cables that keep the pole in place. That’s essentially what we’re asking your core muscles to do for your spine.
Here’s an example: If a watermelon were to roll off the counter and you go to grab it, you want your muscles to be able to lock your spine in place as you catch the watermelon. That’s how we train the core.
A HEALTHY CORE HELPS YOU IN YOUR DAY-TO-DAY
In our Hot Pilates HIIT class, we’re always working our core because we focus on functional training. Functional training is working out in a way that mimics how you move outside of the studio. We address this in class by practicing moves that combine different muscle groups, for example, squatting while doing bicep curls. This could translate to real life by carrying grocery bags and lifting them onto the counter or leaning down to pick up your children.
A STRONG CORE UPS YOUR GAME—WHATEVER THAT MAY BE
Do you love to run, golf, or go play football? A strong core can make you faster and better at most activities requiring balance. It’s a little like a slingshot: When you brace your core muscles, you’ve created stability that will transfer power more efficiently.
A strong core is more than strong abs. Along with the abdominals, we include the postural muscles in our backs, the lats, hamstrings, glutes, and chest.
Here are two postures we use in every Pilates HIIT class.
Plank: We love Plank it will hit just about every core muscle. In Plank, you’re working your shoulder muscles, lats, seat, and legs, and of course, it’s a real burner for your abdominal muscles.
Bridge Lifts: This move is great for activating your seat muscles and firing up your glutes which are key in keeping your spine well-supported.
