When you hear the term
strong core, chances are your mind paints a visual of someone you know be it a celebrity famous for their six-pack ( cough Jada Pinkett Smith) or that superhero chick on Instagram who knocks all beefy dudes out of the water with her gymnastics-esque abs routine. But a strong core (and the importance of having one) goes a lot deeper than washboard abs.
“All the muscles in your core work together to allow movement in different directions, support your spine, and keep your organs in place,” explains Danyele Wilson, CPT, trainer for the app Tone & Sculpt. “When all these muscles are strong and working together, your functional performance improves, along with your balance and stability.” In fact, studies show that all types of athletes from hockey players to runners perform better with core training.