The Core of the Issue

Our muscles have various functions.  Depending on what we are doing, our muscles may be doing direct work, helping to control that work by opposing another muscle or group of muscles, or stabilizing the body as a whole.

Most of the things we do that fall under the category of core exercises intend to enable that last function.  A strong core makes everything else more efficient because the working muscles don’t have to take time out to keep us from falling over.

A strong core also helps us avoid pain.  (No, I don’t mean the pain of doing pretty princesses, although they do get less painful with practice.)  Activating core muscles helps prevent lower back pain brought on by sedentary jobs and long commutes.  Those same core muscles improve our posture, reducing stress on the body (and making us look better into the bargain!!).

Some of the best core exercises are the ones where we use our bodies in asymmetrical ways and/or challenge our balance.  They’re also less boring than ten million crunches.  We can find fun (or less horrible) ways to be strong and powerful.