Fit For Life: It’s All About The Core…

Sunday, October 04, 2015

Matt Espeut, GoLocalWorcester Health +Lifestyle Contributor

I heard one of my mentors give this great analogy: if you lift weights or strength train with a weak core, it’s like firing a cannon from a canoe. Think about it! Or, I say, it’s like building a fortress on sandbags.

I see it daily: Guys in the gym killing themselves for an hour, then get on some “ab” machine, or do a few minutes of crunches and then go home. Sure, they can look great, from a distance. But when you look closer you notice the forward head tilt, the weight belts, the rounded shoulders, etc. These guys are guaranteed to acquire back pain due to the lack of core strength and stability.

If you are a golfer or waiter with lower back pain, it’s usually due to instability of the core. Having a strong core requires two things - 1) proper nutrition, and 2) proper training technique. When your mid-section is properly conditioned, you not only look better - you stand taller, lift heavier weights (if that is part of your goal), and perform your daily activities better and with less injury. All core routines should consist of abdominal and lower back training using movements in a multi plainer range of motion.

My 86 year old client is always saying: if I knew I was going to live this long, I would have taken better care of myself. And I tell her that its never too late to show improvement, as I persuade her to do her dead lifts, and squats. Yes that's right, squats and dead lifts at 86. Chair aerobics and 1lb weights will not help improve balance, strength, and stability, for this population. Lets not forget that older bodies need to move, push, pull, and lift, just like the rest of us, only slower and with some modifications. This is why all the same rules apply, just with a little more conservative approach. Strengthening the core will increase stability and balance and go a long way to preventing injury and falls.

So, if you intend to live a long life, let’s make it a healthy one by starting now.
Again, set your goals – and regardless of what they are – bulking up, having less injuries and strain, looking great, or being in your best condition, remember, it’s all about THE CORE – regardless of what else you do.

Matt Espeut, GoLocal's Health & Lifestyle Contributor has been a personal trainer and health & fitnesss consultant for over 25 years. He is the owner of Fitness Profiles, a one on one, and small group personal training company, as well as Providence Fit Body Boot Camp, located at 1284 North Main St., on the Providence/Pawtucket line. You can reach Matt at (401) 453-3200; on Facebook at "Matt Espeut", and on Twitter at @MattEspeut. "We’re all in this life together – let’s make it a healthy one!"

Related Slideshow: The 7 Best Health and Fitness Apps

Here is a list of some of the most obsession worthy health apps.

Prev Next

MapMyRun

MapMyRun is the number one selling running app for a reason: it is easy to use, offers community support if you want it, and tracks and stores your exact routes for you. If you are training for a race or a serious runner, users say that the extra perks in the upgraded paid version are well worth it.

Made for iPhone, Android and Blackberry

Prev Next

MyFitnessPal

MyFitnessPal seems to be the clear favorite amongst everyone polled. It is helpful not only for the fitness tracking aspect, but everyone polled mentioned how much they loved the food/diet aspect as well. From carb counting for diabetics to recipe ideas to complement your fitness goals, users love this app.

Made for iPhone and Android

Prev Next

JeFit

JeFit is another fitness app that has rave reviews. It not only tracks progress for you, but offers a huge database of workouts. While many apps offer community support, JeFit allows you to sync workouts with friends who use the app, offering a (real) virtual buddy system.

Made for iPhone and Android

Prev Next

Strava

Strava gets the highest mark of all the cycling apps. While it is also great for runners, the cyclers seem particularly inclined towards the fierce competition that can be ignited by this app. You can track all of your rides via GPS, then you can compare your efforts to those logged by others in the community on the same stretch of road. You can also join ongoing challenges that can net you great prizes (in addition to bragging rights).

Made for iPhone and Android

Prev Next

YogaStudio

YogaStudio gets the top vote for Yoga apps. It has a lengthy collection of full class-length videos available at your fingertips. Unlike many other apps, this one also allows you to customize your own video yoga class. All of the poses are done by qualified yoga instructors, and you can find classes suitable for all levels of yogis.

Made for iPhone only

Prev Next

SimplyBeing

SimplyBeing meditation app offers the best of both worlds. You can choose to run this app as a background for your meditation with soothing music or natural sounds that run for a set amount of time. Conversely, for those of you who have trouble focusing during meditation, you can choose a soothing voice-guided meditation.

Made for iPhone and Android

Prev Next

Fooducate

Fooducate is an app all about educating people so that they make healthier food choices. Although not perfect, this app is easy to use (you can even take pictures of bar codes to instantly find foods in their database). It gives food a letter grade, tells you the pluses and minuses, and gives you better ranked alternatives. You can also use it as a weight loss tool by tracking your daily calories.

Made for iPhone and Android