Ask most people what results they want from exercise and I can guarantee that the majority will give 1 of 4 answers:
1. Smaller, tighter bum
2. Leaner, more toned arms
3. Flatter stomach
4. Shapely or muscular legs
Now, if you picture your body as a house (after all, you live in it!), these ‘wish-list’ answers are all cosmetic improvements. They’re the equivalent of saying you want new windows and doors, a conservatory or a landscaped garden.
ALL of these building alterations will help improve the look of your ‘house’, but unless the foundations upon which your home sits are stable and safe, you’re only adding to structural problems, by making cosmetic change first. For example, what’s the point in fitting new windows to a house that is subsiding?
Your body is your home - you live there 24/7 and never move out, until the day you finally turn the lights out and shut the door on your life. While you live there it’s important to keep your home in order - starting with its foundations.
That means improved posture, core stability and flexibility. Don’t focus solely on cosmetic change. Look at the bigger picture. That’s why, for example, you shouldn’t do a lot of crunches. They may improve the ‘tone’ of your abdominals, but as a desk-bound human being, they will do so at the expense of your lower back and your posture. Why, when you sit all day slumped forward, would you want to train your body to pull forward even more??
While you will want to work on improving body parts that you dislike, by focusing on building strength and shape in key muscles, you must also build solid foundations first, by always returning to your core. Practice exercises like the Plank, Side Plank and Horse Stance Vertical to build core stability. Go to any search engine and type these exercise names in for detailed instructions.
Focusing on your home’s foundations first is the key to success. When you have a body that you’re happier with, you want to be able to stand up tall and show it off, not stooped, with backache, rounded shoulders and a postural gut.
What’s more, if you want your house to stand out on your street you need to get rid of all the ivy and foliage, by exposing the bare brickwork. In other words shed any excess fat, with healthy eating, regular exercise and more sleep!
Simon Dainton is a Certified Personal Trainer and founder of Fitstreet Personal Training in the UK. His Programs of Lifestyle change guarantee clients results, combining effective exercise, nutrition and lifestyle adjustments. For more information and to learn more about getting healthier, go to http://www.fitstreet.co.uk/
Tags: Core stability, exercise results, posture
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