Your 4-week sit up challenge
Challenge your friends and family to join in over the next four weeks and strengthen your core muscles.
https://www.weightwatchers.com/nz/fitness/4-week-sit-up-challenge
Why is Strengthening Your Core Muscles Important?
No matter what type of exercise you prefer to do on a regular basis, you need your core muscles to help support you. Unfortunately, all too many people fall into the trap of letting their core muscles slide. They're content with their daily workout plan: running, lifting a few weights here and there, or perhaps participating competitively in a sport. If you're thinking about improving your overall fitness, however, it's important to increase strength throughout your core muscles, too.
What Is Your Core?
Your core is more than just your abs, though you certainly need those to help support you. In fact, your core encompasses your entire torso--everything but your arms and legs. Your core is responsible for supporting you through many of the movements that you take for granted every day, especially when you're exercising.
What are the Benefits of Strengthening Your Core?
Strengthening your core carries with it a number of key benefits--many of which you will begin to experience soon after beginning your core-strengthening routine. Increased core strength offers powerful benefits to anyone at any age, allowing you to more effectively complete your exercise routines, perform in the sport of your choice, or even decrease the risk of injury.
Benefit #1: Increased Core Strength Decreases Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain is a chronic problem for many Americans--especially those who spend long hours every day sitting behind a desk. As it turns out, those long hours sitting in a chair or behind a keyboard can place substantial strain on the lower back, especially if those muscles aren't engaged properly. By increasing your core strength, on the other hand, you can significantly decrease the intensity of back pain or even eliminate it altogether.
Benefit #2: Increased Core Strength Improves Sport Performance
Are you a distance runner? A gymnast? A football player? No matter what sport you love, increased core strength will help you perform more effectively in your sport of choice. Your core is responsible for many of the bending, twisting, and lifting movements that you take for granted every day--and if you let your core strength slide, you won't be able to perform those exercises as well as you'd like.
Benefit #3: Core Exercises Improve Stability
As you age, it can be harder to maintain stability. Just walking across the floor can more dangerous as your balance and stability fade. With increased core strength, however, you'll improve your balance and make it easier to complete your everyday activities.
Benefit #4: Improving Core Strength Makes Everyday Tasks Easier
Are there tasks that you put off because you know that they have the potential to cause back pain? Do you find yourself struggling to handle gardening, basic chores around the house, or lifting and bending when you need to pack boxes? Improved core strength can make all of those tasks easier, decreasing the pain you experience and leaving you feeling like you can accomplish anything, rather than feeling as though you need to beg for help to complete the simplest activities.
Benefit #5: Strong Core Muscles Decrease the Risk of Injury
As you increase your core strength, you improve your balance and build overall stability. In turn, this makes you less likely to injure yourself. When you build core strength, you'll be able to perform the same routines you do every day with lower risk, both of acute injury and of repetitive stress injury. Not only will you be better able to keep up with your daily activities, but you'll also decrease downtime and make it easier to do the things you need to do every day.
Benefit #6: You'll Reach Your Fitness Goals More Easily
A strong core offers many benefits at any age. What are your current fitness goals? Your goals are as diverse as you are. You may want to improve your overall stability, increase your strength, or improve sports performance--and no matter what your fitness goals are, enhanced core strength will help get you there more effectively.
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