Having a healthy and strong core is the key to acing every physical activity and living a fit daily life. It helps you hold your body upright while you are conducting your day-to-day activities.
Core strength helps you achieve the right posture, prevents you from experiencing back pain, and resultantly you can move around with more ease.
All personal trainer San Diego lay enough emphasis on core stability and strength before you can advance towards accomplishing other goals. People often think that one who is physically fit has enough core strength, but that may not always be the case.
There are many people who have the best body and can do planks and sit-ups like a pro and yet do not have a strong core. If you have a weak core, your body will display signs, and you must learn to read these signs and work on them.
Here we have compiled the 8 signs that you must detect at the earliest and start working towards rectifying your core strength.
8 Signs That You Have a Weak Core
Pain in the Lower Back
Lower back pain is one of the most obvious signs of a weak core. This could cause you to incur injuries at the slightest. A strong core provides better support to your spine and prevents injuries. Moreover, you could develop a swayback posture causing discomfort and pain.
To ease your pain, you can:
- Start by beginner’s core strengthening exercises
- Keep a check on your posture while standing or sitting
Balance Issues
A weak core could result in poor balance. Your core muscles are responsible for stabilizing your pelvis. Having weak glute muscles could affect your balance to a great extent. Although it is difficult to detect this sign in normal circumstances, it is a very common one.
How to Fix it
- Pilates is a great way to build balance and core strength
- Balance it with a whole-body strengthening system
Slouching
Maintaining a good posture can be very difficult unless you have a strong core. Slouching is so natural that you might not even notice you are doing it. People are so used to slouching that they find it difficult to maintain the right posture for more than a couple of minutes. But if you manage to build a strong core, it becomes much easier, and with time the right posture becomes a comfortable one. You can try the following to keep yourself from slouching besides the right kind of exercises:
- Assume a straight back and meditate for 20 mins every day.
- Keep a check on your posture
- Make sure that you indulge in stretching exercises in between your work hours.
Lose Belly
Having a taut belly is a sign of a toned core. It shows your strength besides being appealing to the eyes. Weak core muscles will have you sagging towards the ground. You can:
- Start with some toning exercises
- Yoga is a good option for beginners.
- Go for a brisk run every day.
You Find It Difficult to Stand Up From a Squatting Position Using Your Core
Performing squats can often be painful and difficult for people with a weak core. Unless you have a strong core, you will have difficulty standing up without using your hands. You might also break the bend and hurt yourself. There are no shortcuts, and you must:
- Get into the habit of regular workout sessions to strengthen your core.
- Not get into vigorous exercise right away.
Sagging Spine
Try lying down on the floor, keep your hands beside you, and see if you can lay straight for a while without feeling like your spine is sagging downwards the ground instead of maintaining a straight line.
This happens when your core is not strong enough to maintain a posture and give in to the slightest gravitational pull. It could also pave the way for several spine-related injuries and diseases.
You Find it Difficult to Conduct Everyday Activities that Demand Strength.
Several everyday activities require you to put on strength. While some may perform them with ease, some find it extremely difficult and might injure themselves doing the slightest of the jobs. Not being able to do these tasks is a major sign of a weak core, and one must take this hint quite seriously.
Difficulty in Walking Upright
You may not have noticed how you walk, but if you pay attention to your posture and how you move, you might discover the truth about your core strength. A person with a strong core walks without swaying their hips or upper body.
As we already mentioned, when your core is not strong enough, you will find it difficult to balance while walking. It will also make you assume the wrong posture when walking. Resultantly you cannot walk upright.
Fixing the Weak Core Problem
The above-mentioned 8 signs are not to be ignored, and if you can trace more than 5 signs in yourself, it is time you hire a San Diego personal trainer and get into a systematic training regime. Know how to fix your core easily.
Core Strengthening Exercises
To get you started, we have made a list of exercises that every Gym in San Diego swears by:
- High plank
- Reverse crunch
- Bird dog crunch
- Glute bridge
- Superman pulls
- Plank knee crosses
Do the Exercises Correctly
When a workout is done wrong, it can further harm your posture and core. Therefore, it is best to get a personal trainer who will help you get the right exercise and ensure the best success rate.
Maintain a Regime
You must be consistent in your workout regime. Do not give up easily. It is going to be quite difficult the first 7 to 10 days, but with time you will get used to it and thank yourself.
Maintain a Healthy Diet
Remember that you will be putting your body under enough physical strain. To recover from it and also to support your goal your body needs adequate nutrition. Make sure that you follow a healthy diet and get 8 hours of sleep. Always consult with a fitness trainer or wherever you may be to ensure you are following the best protocols.