Love your abs

The one big thing I have learnt so far this year is the importance of abs. It’s only 3 small letters but they do make a huge difference. I have been to many gym classes and I have heard many instructors shout “Belly in!” or “Abs tight!” but  they never really explained why it was essential to squeeze the abs so I never really paid attention.

I have to admit that I don’t like working my abs…simply because it hurts and because I find it utterly boring. Same with my bottom. So I took the habit of skipping all kind of abs and other leg and bottom strengthening exercises. Well the result was that last Christmas, I suffered from sciatica. I had this pain in my back that was going down to my left knee and foot. It was bad enough to wake me up at night and I could only sleep in specific positions…in short, it was not nice. I went to the doctor once and the pain did not go away despite the anti-inflammatory tablets. It’s only when I went to see the physiotherapist that I got some answers to my questions. The problem was my WEAK ABDOMINALS. Because I did not have strong abdominals, my back had to do all the hard work of supporting my body while I was cycling and running and that’s what caused the sciatica.

By working your abs, you create extra support and your back will not have to do all the work.Working your abdominals will not only enhance your appearance but it will also help improve your performance by providing extra power when you swim, cycle and run. I am now aware of my abdominals and I make sure that I contract them and use them while I exercise and I have really seen the difference. I have more stability and more power in the legs.

I think that the best way to work your abs and other core muscles in an entertaining way is to go to Pilates or body pump classes as these courses focus on core strengthening. By making your body stronger, you will lessen the chance of getting injuries such as back pain or knee pain. And believe me, your body will look firmer and trimmer in no time which is always nice.

I am currently reading a book called the New Abs diet by David Zinczenko (Paperback, 2010). It is quite interesting as it gives you interesting facts about food and how it is used by your body but it also gives you a 6 week programme to get a flat tummy and work all your core muscles. I won’t follow the diet but I will try the exercises and see if I can turn my stomach into an ironing board in such a small period of time!