Core exercises are a misunderstood and neglected part of most people’s workout. What are core exercises and why are they important? I’m glad you asked.

The core, as you might have guessed, is the area around your trunk and pelvis. When you have good core stability from strong pelvis, lower back, hips, and abdomen muscles, any physical activity becomes easier, from swinging a golf club to bending over to tie your shoes to slapping a llama in the face. Conversely, ignore the development of those areas and you get what many people are intimately familiar with – poor posture, lower back pain, and muscle injuries.

So, what are you gonna do to make them strong? You don’t need special equipment or an expensive gym membership. Any movement which uses the trunk of your body without support will do the trick. Squats, push-ups, and abdominal crunches are a great starting point.

Bored with the thought of those? Try this with an exercise ball. Sit on the ball and gently bounce to work your abs, back, and thigh muscles. You can even do your crunches on the ball. Sit with your feet resting on the floor about hip-width apart. Keep your back straight. Cross your arms over your chest. Tighten your abs and lean back until you feel them kick in. Hold that position for three deep breaths. Return to starting position and repeat.

Add a few minutes of core movement to the start or finish of your regular workout and watch how many of those irksome, nagging injuries and lower back pain simply vanish.  Come on. It’s worth a shot!

Welcome back! Get your Online Personal Training account for just $29.99 a year. Follow us on Twitter for diet and workout tips!