There’s plenty of reasons to pay attention to your core. A toned center portion of the body does more than help you look good at the beach or in your street clothing. A toned and muscular core also helps to provide more support for your back, helps with the proper function of your nervous system, and improves your posture. Even if you don’t have time to get to the gym regularly, it’s possible to work on your core at home. Here are three ways you can use specific pieces of equipment to make your core everything it should be.
Gymnastic Rings and Your Core
Many people think that gymnastic rings are designed solely to build upper body strength. It’s true that many of the exercises done with the rings do build and tone the muscles, arms, and even the chest. What you may not know is that the benefits also extend to your core.
A number of routines you can do using the rings also creates resistance and tension that goes all the way into your lower back and abdomen. It’s that resistance created by your own body weight that challenges the muscles and causes them to become more firm and taut. Strong muscles in the core protect your internal organs from sudden shock and go a long way toward minimizing the potential for injuries.
How Exercise Balls Help
Some people confuse medicine balls with exercise balls. The latter is actually not for tossing. Instead, many of the exercises done with it involve sitting on the ball.
Improving your balance is one of the ways that exercise balls help you tone your core. The back and forward movements work those core muscles and gradually strengthen them. You can also do exercises that include side to side movements. Those also help to add definition to your core. The payoff is often an improvement in your posture. That improvement also helps to reduce the potential for pain in the lower back.
You can buy an exercise ball that is burst resistant for up to 600 lbs and load-tested for as much as a thousand pounds. The durable plastic ensures you can get excellent performance from the ball for a number of years.
Making the Most of Aerobic Step Equipment
It’s hard to identify any part of the body that does not respond to aerobic workouts. One of the best ways to incorporate aerobics into your routine is to buy aerobic step equipment and use it daily. Equipment of this type is compact so you can use it at home, the office, or take it along for a trip. Many of the steppers will adjust to multiple heights. Some can be adjusted as high as 12 inches. That allows you to imitate the activity of walking up and down stairs with relative ease.
Along with being a great workout for your legs and upper thighs, the right type of stepper works all the core muscles and helps develop them gradually. Pair the use of a stepper with other exercises like sit-ups and workouts on the exercise balls and you’ll soon see a difference in the way your gut looks and feels.
It’s never too late to start getting in shape. Take a look at the resources found at a fitness accessories store and select a few things to help strengthen your core. As you begin to notice how your back hurts less and your posture improves, it will be easy to see why those exercises are making your quality of life a lot higher.
