Let's work on that core

It is that time of the year when early morning activities are on the rise. The cool months of winter, definitely spur people to wake up early and start their fitness routine. The winter sports events are another reason why, people are out in the morning and there is a distinct rise in the 6 am activity on the roads.

People are seen walking and jogging. The regular runners and cyclists apart, new people aspiring to run the Sabarmati marathon or participate in the Sabarmati Cylothon are also seen practising and training.

While it’s important to run and cycle in order to get direct practice of the sports, one essential element that people sometime miss is the muscle strengthening part. The leg muscles are the largest muscle group in the human body and both running and cycling engage the leg muscles.

Muscle training will provide more strength and stamina to athletes in sporting events.

Regular goers to the gym get their fair share of leg muscle building exercises but an area that is sometimes neglected is the core workout. Most athletes miss the fact that a stronger core leads to stronger performance.

Normal wear and tear, aches and pains are part of every fitness regime and athlete’s life. All injuries customarily put a load on the back and the spine. Invariably after an attack of pain, muscles of the spine get weak and inefficient. Even while conducting day to day activities, one doesn’t feel strong and energetic. It seems like vitality and stamina are missing. Sometimes due to medication, pain might disappear but one still doesn’t feel normal.

In today‘s time where stress is part and parcel of our lives, the additional burden of a weak spine is what reduces mental agility. The mind has a very deep effect on our body responses. Stress alters the way body responses and makes it vulnerable to frequent pain — which further ends up weakening the spine.

Spine is a complex structure and has to be worked on very systematically. Multiple components of muscles around the spine make one whole structure known as the “core” meaning cavity with the centre. It’s the centre of our body around which all our energy is distributed. It is like a base, almost like stem of a giant tree. If the base is weak then whole tree is going to be weak.

Often the word core is mistaken as the abdominal or the lower back. In fact it is the entire area around the spine. Different spinal conditions make the core weak and give rise to repetitive pain which produces weakness cycles much after the pain is gone.

Strengthening the core provides stamina, strength and good muscle control. It reduces elements of injury since the body has better balance — the lingering pain goes away and so does the element of fatigue and stress.

This season let not the excitement of the Sabarmati Marathon and Cyclothon take away from a systematic approach to training.

Work those legs, Work out that core!
Happy running! Happy cycling!