Fitness Information

Article Navigation

Click Here for more articles

The Core: Unleash Your Inner Caveman

by: Aaron M. Potts

An alternative name for this article could have been, 'How to undo Generations worth of Damage Caused by sitting on our Backsides and Letting Machines Teach us Not to Stand up Straight'.

That doesn't exactly roll off the tongue though, does it?

The point is the same, however. Before we were even able to stand fully erect we could literally fight for our right to live on a daily basis. Now, we are again barely standing up straight due to bad posture and bad habits, but we can hardly walk across town without pulling a muscle or throwing our back out!

Why? We are weak - from the inside out! In today's image conscious society, we are so concerned with the way we look that we ignore the fact that we are falling apart from the inside. For lack of a better term, we are "rotten to the core"!

What IS "the core"? Why does everyone keep talking about training 'the core"? What does any of this have to do with cavemen?

Basically, the idea here is that there was a time in human evolution when we literally had to fight to survive. Although actual battle was certainly part of life back in the Stone Age, we are also talking about the day to day struggle that was involved in just making it to see another sunset!

Walking, running, climbing, throwing, pushing, pulling, balancing, lifting, pressing - the list goes on and on. These activities were all a daily part of life way back when the human body was being "programmed".

Compare that to the present day activity level of an average person in a civilized culture, and what do you get? A MAJOR difference between the way we were built and the way we are actually called upon to perform! If you took your average office worker in 2005 and threw them back in time to a point when fur was "in", they probably wouldn't last for very long.

Is it wrong that modern technology has made our lives so easy? Probably not - depending on who you ask. However, is it wrong that we don't keep our bodies as strong and vital as we used to HAVE to keep them? YES!

Just because you CAN sit down all day, and just because you CAN eat 1,000 calories in less than 20 minutes, and just because you CAN pay someone else to mow your lawn doesn't mean that you SHOULD do those things.

Allowing our easy lives to make us weak is OUR fault. It's not your boss at work who tells you that you can't exercise when you aren't pulling desk time. It's not your mother or father who is making you eat at fast food restaurants every day. It's not your car that is making you drive it � mile to the store instead of just walking.

It's YOUR fault. It's all YOUR fault. Does that sound harsh? That's too bad, because it's the truth and you know it. Even people who are paralyzed from the waist down can get plenty of exercise if they train hard enough. Even people who don't know a barbell squat from a bench press can learn if they really try to. Even "corporate Americans" who work 12-hour days can get some exercise and eat right if they truly make an effort.

So what can you do to be more in touch with the "programmed" caveman inside of you? Simple. Get out there and make an effort! Get up off your backside, stop making excuses, and MOVE. Start from the inside, though - with the Core.

What is meant by "the core" is the successful inner teamwork of many systems in your body, all of them originating at center mass - the torso area. We are talking about the muscles of your lower back and spine, the Transverse Abdominis muscle behind your "six-pack", the obliques and other supporting muscles, the circulatory and neurological systems that power these muscles with fuel and instructions, and many more muscles and tissues that all work together as a unit, collectively being called "the core".

Why does any of this matter to you? After all, it's only what you look like from the outside that matters, right. Wrong! Your body's core is like a power plant. It fuels and controls everything that you do. From moving nutrient and oxygen-rich blood to your extremities, to the very network of neurological pathways that control your arms and your legs - all of this starts at the core.

All of your vital organs and systems are located in the core area. Your heart, lungs, spine, stomach, liver, kidneys - the list goes on. The only thing outside of your torso that you couldn't live without is your head. However, your head is directly connected to your spinal column, which is part of the core!

Part of having a strong core is that the actual muscles are thicker, stronger, and much more resistant to injury. If you have a weak core, you could give yourself a lifetime back injury just by picking up a box the wrong way! On the other hand, if your core muscles are strong and vital, you have a lot more "margin for error" when it comes to bending over, picking things up, keeping your balance, etc.

What about your posture? Posture is definitely controlled by a strong core. Would you think of having good posture as an important thing? You should! If not, let's take a secret shortcut to weight loss: Stand up straight and suck in your gut. Congratulations, you just lost 10 pounds!

Are you starting to see the point? It all starts at the core, so safeguarding the inner-workings of your body is as important as it gets.

There are many great exercises to work your core, but listing them all is beyond the scope of this article. The point that you should take home is that working your core should be an integral part of your life - even if you don't exercise on a regular basis. Even if you don't care about weight loss or physical appearance, safeguard your LIFE by having a strong core!

Here are some resources where you can learn about core exercises:

http://exercise.about.com/cs/abs/l/bl_core.htm

Remember: Your core is your body's power plant. Keep YOUR body running at maximum power!

About the author:
Aaron Potts is the owner and creator of Fitness Destinations, a content-filled health and fitness website for consumers as well as professionals in the fitness industry. Aaron's experience in the health and fitness industry includes one on one personal training in many different environments, maintenance of several health-related websites, and authoring of many fitness articles and fitness-related products for consumers and fitness professionals. Sign up for his weekly Fitness Journal at

Circulated by Article Emporium

Read Articles:

50 Motivational Tips for Exercise and Weight Loss

Health is Your Greatest Asset?

Why you do not have "killer abs" or that "6 pac...

Personal Training: 3 Powerful Ways to Position ...

Where to Buy HGH -

Joseph Pilates: The Man behind the Movement

Powerbreathe, Lung Conditioner and Breathing Ex...

"TAI CHI, not CHAI TEA!"

Muscle and Fitness -- The Second Key To Achievi...

The Subconscious Influence on Your Diet and Per...

Weight Loss Efficiency � 10 ways to make the mo...

Discover the Latest Rave to Hit Fitness Centers

A Diet Buddy Can Help You Lose Weight

Salsa Dancing For Fitness Is Hot

Sportcraft treadmill a great investment for ind...

Are You Financially Fit?

Eating the Australian Way

Double Calories Burned With Five Minutes Of Exe...

Exercise for a Healthy Heart

"How To Get Fit And Slash Your Health Insurance...

You Don't Have to Strain for Cardio Fitness Gains

The Growing Popularity of Treadmills

Exercise & Motivation, Part 4: Maintenance & Re...

Exercise: Why YOU Should Do It

Basic Weight Management

The Mediterranean Diet Full Flavored Foods Help...

Powerful Periodized Strength Training Basics Fo...

Bridging the Gap: The Top 5 Fitness Secrets for...

A Diet Made For You Will Make All The Difference

Muscle Building Workouts - Build Muscle And Fit...

The Core: Unleash Your Inner Caveman

HOW TO FIND A GYM AND START EXERCISING

Finding a Cheap Home Gym -

Anti Aging Techniques For Young Adults

Exercise And Your Anaerobic Threshold

5 Sure-Fire Tips To Save You $1000's On Your Ho...

Getting F.I.T.T. Is Easy

Warming Up Properly

Free Weights vs. Exercise Machines

Look and Feel Young Even After 40 -- Part 2

Make Your New Year's Resolution Stick

Home Exercise Equipment: The Best Gym at Minima...

Star Trac treadmill a stride towards quality.

What is Pilates?

Become A Personal Trainer Online

Eight Amazing Benefits of Teaching Yoga

Pacemaster Treadmill Intelligence

Give the Gift of Health and Fitness this Winter

Ten excuses why people don�t do fitness exercise.

Get In Shape For The Festive Season. What you h...

Diamonds in the Ruff - How to Find a Good Perso...

Is it possible to follow a strict Diet Program ...

How To Build A Low Cost Home Gym

The Technology Behind Elliptical Cross Trainers...

Fast Weight Loss Programs � The importance of l...

10 Health Fitness Tips

Abdominal Exercise Equipment That Really Works

Defeating Back Pain Forever

Lose Weight By Sleeping?

Cycling Your Way To Fitness

More Article Pages 1 - 2 - 3

Do you want to be thinner, healthy and fit?
by: Lucy E. Riddell

While we offer an effective and natural fat loss product � the Jen Fe Next Fat Loss Patch and the Power Patch, we also know that without a commitment from you to bring about some lifestyle changes, you won�t reach optimal fat loss. There is no product in the world that can produce fat loss while we are eating and drinking excessively, and moving only slowly from couch to car to office chair. We need a program of sensible diet and exercise that will support the products we utilize to help our weight loss.

Here�s what to eat:

1. Lots of vegetables and fruits

2. Increase healthy protein intake. This is how you build lean muscle tissue, which in turn speeds up your metabolism. Examples are fish, lean meats, low-fat dairy products, beans, and soy products.

3. Fiber-Rich foods. They will fill up and they make they are satisfying. In this category are: peas, beans, bran cereals, potato skins, nuts and seeds, oatmeal, bulger wheat, 100% whole wheat baked goods, fruits and vegetables.

4. Minerals. Calcium and other minerals are you �secret weapons� against body fat. They are found in low-fat dairy products, small or canned fish, soy tofu, green vegetables, nuts, seeds, bran cereals, and calcium fortified orange juice, and avoid processed, salt-loaded foods.

5. Eat fish and beneficial fats. Omega-3 unsaturated fatty acid in some fish, oils and nuts is a good fat. Eat moderate amounts of salmon, herring, mackerel, sardines and other oily fish. Soybeans, nuts, pumpkin seed are also excellent sources for Omega-3.

6. Reduce harmful fats � saturated and trans fats. These are not only high in calories; they are also loaded with harmful fatty acids that cause disease.

7. Always eat an adequate breakfast for several reasons: it will speed up your metabolism earlier in the day and when you skip breakfast, it makes it harder to control your appetite later in the day.

8. Cut back or eliminate alcohol. It is high in non-filling calories. Ideal consumption is one glass of beer or wine a day.

9. Stay away from junk carbohydrates � sugar and white flour are diet killers in all but the smallest amounts.

10. Gradually reduce your calorie intake because extreme and sudden dieting causes your body to conserve, not burn calories, and it slows fat loss.

11. Snack instead of eating large meals � larger, higher calorie meals tend to be stored as fat, instead of burned for energy. Ideally, you should eat five or six smaller, nutritious snacks each day instead of large meals.

12. Move! You must exercise to build lean tissue that burns fat. As little as two to three hours per week of brisk walking at minimum, and you will notice a major impact on your weight loss.

13. Reduce stress. It produces adverse fat-producing chemistry in your body. Try warm baths, meditation, deep breathing, stretching, massage, prayer and rest.

14. Get outside into the sunshine at lest 20 minutes per day � the vitamin D you get from sunshine works with calcium for health and body fat control.

For more information on the Fat Loss Patch, go to www.FatBeGoneWithLucy.com or call 888-407-0570.

This Static Spot is open for sponsor

This Static Spot is open for sponsor