What is LISS Training?

Cardio. Some people love it while others are at war with just the thought of going for a run. 

It’s pretty widely accepted that cardio is important to incorporate into our workout routines. It supports heart health, regulates blood sugar, helps us sleep better, and does so much more. But how do we figure out what we’re supposed to do to reap those benefits? 

We all have our preferences when it comes to getting our bodies moving and with so many options out there, narrowing it down can be pretty overwhelming. There are simply too many cardio exercises out there to discuss in one single article, so let’s cover one type of cardio training so you can find what works for you: LISS. 

What is LISS Training?

LISS stands for “Low-Intensity Steady State.” It’s a form of fitness training that requires a low-moderate, regulated heart rate (about 50%-65% of your max heart rate) over an extended period of time (30-60 minutes). 

You might have heard of LISS’s counterpart, HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training), which is characterized by short bursts of massive energy output. The American Council on Exercise makes an amazing analogy to explain LISS as it relates to HIIT: 

HIIT is like driving your car through a city: it uses lots of energy and forces your car to run out of gas pretty quickly. LISS cardio training is like driving down a long highway: your car is able to stretch out its gas mileage because it’s moving so consistently. And whether you drive through the city or down a highway, you ultimately burn gas to get to your destination no matter what.

Here are some examples of movements you can apply LISS training to:

• Walking/Jogging
• Hiking
• Elliptical 
• Swimming
• Rowing
• Pilates
• Yoga Flow
• Stand-Up Paddleboarding 

Who is LISS Training for?

One of the coolest things about LISS is that it’s super accessible. 

Is this your first time incorporating exercise into your life? LISS is for you.

Do you have any health issues that can be improved by cardiovascular exercise? LISS is also for you.

Are you an elite athlete who needs some extra recovery support? Well, guess what? LISS is for you too. 

LISS has a place in almost anyone’s workout routine because it can be applied so widely both inside and outside of the gym. 

What are the Benefits of LISS Training?

LISS comes with a whole lot of benefits (re: LISS is for everyone). Here are just a few: 

• It’s free – going for a walk won’t cost you a penny. 
• It’s a great way to dip your toes into fitness if you’re just starting out. 
• It’s accessible – we said it before and we’ll say it until it sinks in. 
• It improves heart health.
• It is a great way to start working toward endurance competitions like marathons.
• It’s generally less risky than high-intensity workouts. 
• It aids in recovery. 
• It can improve metabolism.
• It burns fat and supports weight loss goals.

What are the Disadvantages of LISS Training?

The only major disadvantage of LISS training is that it’s not very time efficient. Remember the driving on the highway vs driving in the city analogy? It takes longer to burn through a tank of gas on the highway (doing LISS), and the goal with exercise a lot of the time is to burn through that gas as much and as fast as we can. 

What we mean is simply that LISS takes up a lot more time than its high-intensity counterpart. You can burn the same amount of calories in a LISS cardio workout as a HIIT workout, but the LISS workout will take longer. This means that if you get bored easily and/or live a busy lifestyle without too much time to exercise, LISS might not fit into your schedule. 

Another thing to note is the potential for injury that comes with any form of exercise. While high intensity presents its risks of injury by way of moving so hard and fast, when you’re doing LISS, you may have to worry about repetitive stress injuries like shin splints or plantar fasciitis. No matter what type of exercise you’re doing, if you feel any pain beyond your muscles working, stop and talk to a doctor. 

Creating a sustainable fitness routine is all about finding movement that makes you feel supported, challenged, and excited. LISS is a wonderful piece to incorporate into the puzzle of your fitness journey, whether you’re rearing up for a marathon or because your doctor recommended you get some exercise. 

Regardless of your fitness level, if you’ve decided that LISS exercise is right for you, we’ve got all the equipment you could need to get to work. You can also find LISS workouts like yoga on our digital fitness platform, iChuze Fitness. Get a free 7-day trial today! Start small, work your way up to long workouts, and enjoy the ride!

The post What is LISS Training? appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

Resistance bands are an underestimated piece of workout equipment! As a personal trainer, they are one of my…

Over the last 13 months, health has become more important to the world. While many go to the gym to burn a few calories and keep the holiday weight off, there are other important factors that movement and exercise play in our overall health.

Decreases Stress/Improves Mood

Daily movement and exercise have been shown in clinical studies over and over again to improve mood and decrease stress. Moderate intensity activity increases blood flow, loosens stiff muscles, and helps the lungs expel carbon dioxide due to increased breathing rates. Built-up tension can decrease focus, cause aches and pains and leave you feeling exhausted at the end of the day. By improving your physical health, you are also working to keep yourself mentally healthy too!

 

Moving Keeps You Young

As the saying goes, “We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.” The more we move our bodies, the better the body will age. Once activity and exercise cease, the body tends to get rid of things it doesn’t use like mobility and strength.  Staying active will keep bones dense and strong to avoid fractures, enable mental clarity, promote a strong set of heart and lungs and keep your joints moving and healthy!

 

Supports a Strong Immune System

The stronger the body is overall, the stronger the immune response will be. Small bursts of activity like weight training and cardio, even walks around the neighborhood provide stress to the immune system and allows for better antibody production over time.

 

More Energy, To Do More

If activity is already a part of daily life, getting more stuff done usually happens naturally. Finding ways to add activity into your life will in turn enable you to not only be more productive but also do more of what you love.

 

Promotes Better Sleep

Movement can be exhausting! Getting enough regular activity, plus a slight increase in physical activity has been shown to improve the quality of sleep. The better you recover from one day of physical activity, the better the next day will be!

 

Moving more every day doesn’t mean you have to grind it out in the gym. Spring is here and it’s a great time to get out of the house and move. A walk around the neighborhood to see the flowers in bloom or playing in your garden not only benefits the body but benefits the mind. A little bit of activity goes a long way towards your overall health. Make sure you’re hitting the recommended minimums of weekly activity: 150 minutes light-intensity activity, 60-90 minutes of moderate-intensity activity, 45-60 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, or a mix of all 3. And if you’re more likely to move at the gym, we’re here!

 

Author: Gini Grimsley, MS, CSCS

VASA Fitness Director of Fitness Product

The post Top 5 Ways Movement Impacts Overall Health appeared first on VASA Fitness.

Original source: https://vasafitness.com/2021/04/top-5-ways-movement-impacts-overall-health/

Watermelon Mint Salad

 

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp agave
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh mint
• 4 cups cubed watermelon
• 3 cups fresh arugula
• 1/3 cup feta cheese
• optional: 1/4 cup roasted pine nuts

Directions

1. Combine olive oil, balsamic vinegar, agave, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and mint into a large bowl and combine.
2. Add cubed watermelon and coat in the mixture.
3. Add arugula, feta cheese, and pine nuts and toss to combine.
4. Enjoy!

Do you like cooking with fresh herbs? Or have you recently started growing your own? Check out some tips below for adding in fresh herbs.

Tips for cooking with Fresh Herbs

1. Add some of your favorites on top of a salad, pasta or rice bowl! We recommend trying cilantro, basil, or, arugula!
2. Add fresh herbs to dishes with shorter cooking time, or towards the end of cooking for the most flavor.
3. Cut, chop, or grind leaves for a great and more potent flavor.
4. Dry herbs are stronger than fresh herbs. For longer-lasting herbs, dry out your own.

Enjoyed this recipe? Try out our delicious (and plant-based) Cowboy Caviar recipe with fresh cilantro!

The post Delicious and Fresh Watermelon Salad appeared first on VASA Fitness.

Original source: https://vasafitness.com/2021/04/delicious-and-fresh-watermelon-salad/

5 Core Strengthening Exercises to Try at Home Today

Strengthening your core is to fitness what drinking water is to your ability to stay alive: absolutely essential. 

We use our core muscles—the muscles that make up our trunk from the tops of our legs to the bottom of our neck and in between our arms—constantly. These muscles are responsible for most of the movements we can possibly do. 

Having strong core strength isn’t just necessary for elite athletes; we all need to have strong core muscles so we can take on every single day knowing that a solid foundation supports our movements. Those core muscles help prevent everyday strains and injuries and ultimately make our bodies a more joyful place to be. 

We’ve put together 5 core strength exercises (organized from easy to advanced) you can utilize to build your core muscles so you can rest easy knowing that your body is good and prepared to do all that you want it to. 

Dead Bug

Dead bugs are a great beginner core training exercise that force you to work not only your core but also your sense of coordination.

For this exercise, you’ll start lying on your back. Put your arms straight up toward the ceiling and lift your legs off the ground into a tabletop position with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.

From here, straighten your right leg toward the floor while simultaneously lowering your left arm directly above your head, so it’s in line with your left ear. Your extended arm and leg should hover a few inches above the ground while you engage your core to make sure your lower back doesn’t arch off the floor. 

Slowly and with control, bring your limbs back into starting position and repeat on the other side. 

Forearm Plank

You’ve probably heard of a plank before, but it’s important to remind ourselves of the correct form. 

It’s so easy to sway off track with these, and the key to a good plank is mindfulness and focusing on just how your body is working. While there are many variations of the plank exercise, we will focus on a forearm plank because it is such a core-heavy isometric exercise.

A forearm plank is effectively a push-up position lowered onto your forearms with your elbows directly under your shoulders. Your feet, hands, and forearms should be the only things connected to the floor. 

Lift up out of your shoulders so you aren’t collapsing in the upper body and use your core to tuck your tailbone under so you aren’t collapsing in the lower body. Your hips should be in line with your shoulders, which means your bottom shouldn’t stick up or sag toward the ground. 

Hold for as long as you can and release. Thirty seconds is a great place to start. 

Bicycle Crunches 

Like the dead bugs, you’re going to start this exercise on your back with your knees up and your calves parallel to the floor. 

For bicycle crunches, keep your hands behind your head with your elbows sticking straight out to the sides. Use them to take a little bit of pressure off the neck but don’t rely so hard on them that it takes the work away from your core. 

Lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the ground so that just the bottoms of your shoulder blades are touching the floor. 

Now, extend your right leg out so that it’s about 6-10 inches off the ground while pulling your left knee in toward your chest. Bring your right elbow to touch the inside of that left knee (or get as close as you possibly can). 

Now alternate with your left elbow reaching toward your right knee, all the while keeping your head, neck and shoulders lifted the best you can as you twist. 

Row the Boat

Starting in a seated position, lean back onto your bottom and let your legs lift to about 45 degrees. Start with them bent into that tabletop position or straighten them if you already have a steel core. 

Clasp your hands together with your arms straight out in front of you. Keep your back flat (don’t hunch over) as you turn to the left and create a rowing motion with your hands together (as if you were rowing a canoe or a paddleboard). 

Carefully twist to the other side while engaging your core to maintain balance and repeat. 

V-Up

Alright, here’s where the work gets extra tricky, even though the premise behind the V-up is pretty straightforward: make a V shape. 

Start laying flat on your back with your legs out and arms reaching straight up, covering your ears. The idea here is to use your core to lift your legs and torso into that V shape with just your seat on the floor. 

The most challenging part is keeping your back flat and legs straight throughout the movement; working your upper and lower body simultaneously into a balancing position is a huge challenge. Once you reach the top with your legs at about 45 degrees and your hands reaching toward your feet, lie back down with control. 

If this isn’t accessible to you just yet, you can come up to a V shape with your knees bent and your calves parallel to the floor. 

No matter how you choose to get started with core strength training exercises, whether they include these or are led by an instructor in a core-heavy class, training these muscles is a huge step to improving your performance both inside and outside the gym. Try a core workout on our virtual fitness platform, iChuze Fitness, today. Get your free trial here!

The post 5 Core Strengthening Exercises to Try at Home Today appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

Hello Kids Club Families!

April’s newsletter is all about Spring. We would love to see how your family celebrates this month. Share your fun with us on Instagram #ChuzeFamily.

With all of our love,
The Chuze Fitness Kids Club Team

If your local Kids Club remains closed, not to worry! You won’t be charged Kids Club dues until we’re up and running again.

 

April Craft Calendar

 

Kids Club Fitness Calendar

Challenge your family to complete these moves this month!

Don’t forget to check out our Free Family Workouts on Chuze On Demand.

 

5 Spring Activities 

1. Blow Bubbles! Learn how to make your own here.
2. Build and fly a Kite.
3. Make a bird feeder. Contact your local Home Depot and ask about their monthly Free Kids Workshop Programs for more DIY projects. 
4. Start a Garden! Gardening instructions, 10 tips for children gardening 
5. Check out more ideas to Celebrate Spring here! 

 

Snack Corner

Celery Butterflies

Ingredients: 

• Celery slices
• Peanut butter or cream cheese
• Pretzels
• Raisins

Steps: 

1. Spread peanut butter or cream cheese in the middle of the celery slice.
2. Place one pretzel on both sides of the celery, pressing them into the peanut butter or cream cheese for the wings.
3. Place two raisins in the front for the eyes, then enjoy!

 

Autism Acceptance Month

Learn more about Autism here.

 

Jokes

Q: Why can’t Elsa have a balloon?

A: Because she can’t let go.

Q:What animal is always at a baseball game?

A: A bat.

Q:What do you call a dinosaur that’s sleeping?

A: A dino-snore!

Q: What is loud, fast and crunchy?

A: A rocket chip!

The post Kids Club News: April 2021 appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

Why is Core Strength Important?

When we think about fitness and health, one of the stereotypical images that comes to mind is a 6-pack of abs. It’s considered by many to be the ultimate fitness goal. And sure, having a 6-pack can be an excellent target for your fitness journey, but the story behind the 6-pack goes much deeper than aesthetics. 

When we talk about core exercise training, we’re not just talking about those front-facing ab muscles. We’re talking about all of the muscles that make up your trunk or midsection. All of our movements come from this zone, so while keeping it strong just might earn you that coveted 6-pack, training it will do much, much more. 

Why is building core strength so important? Read on to find out. 

Balance Improvement 

Our sense of balance lives in our inner ears, but our ability to maintain that sense of balance requires our core muscles. The simple act of standing up straight, whether you notice it or not, is rooted in the core. How else would we balance on a surface area as small as our feet?

When we have a strong core and, therefore, a strong support system for our sense of balance, we’re able to perform any activity without having to worry about toppling over. This gets even more important as we become more prone to falling in advanced age, so it’s important to train your core at all stages of life.

Ease of Movement

If you take anything away from this article, let it be this: core strength training allows us to move through the world with ease. 

When our core is strong, using our limbs is easier, and—as we said—we’re better at maintaining balance. If we train our core, we can bend and throw and climb and twist with a foundation ready to support those movements. With a strong trunk, simple things like standing up from a chair, picking up grocery bags, or turning from one path to another become as easy as 1, 2, 3.

Posture Support

Good posture comes with a whole lot of benefits, from breathing better to improving concentration. 

When we train our core muscle groups, our spines are surrounded by a beautiful structure to lean on (literally). Having strong core muscles helps us keep our backs upright without thinking about it, which is what fitness training is all about: making your body function so well that you don’t have to think about it. 

Athletic Performance

If you’re an athlete, you probably already do enough grueling core strengthening exercises to know how important it is to keep a strong trunk. But if you are looking to improve your game—whether you’re an Olympic gymnast or you’re considering joining an intramural sports team or club—core strength is essential. 

Think about any movement in any sport. Holding a handstand, swinging a golf club, shooting a basketball into a hoop, scrubbing an icy floor to move stones at a target—you name it—all of these movements use muscles in your abs, sides, and back to accomplish a goal.

Working your core muscle strength will improve your athletic performance, period. 

Injury Prevention

Another wonderful side effect of core conditioning is that it prevents injuries. This has everything to do with what we mentioned about ease of movement: having a strong core allows us to perform our daily activities with more support for our bones, muscles, and joints. 

That way, when we slip, we’re better equipped to catch ourselves before we fall, and when we bend down to pick up a box, we don’t hurt any muscles in our backs.

Core strength is important because it is a mechanism of improving anyone and everyone’s quality of life, and we have all the tools you could possibly need to get that core working at all of our locations. If you are looking for guided core routine workouts that you can do at home or in the club, try our virtual fitness platform, iChuze Fitness. Here, our instructors and Coaches will walk you through every movement in your core workout. Try it out for seven days here. 

The post Why is Core Strength Important? appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

“A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day.

We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world.

From challenge comes change, so let’s all choose to challenge.”

–International Women’s Day

In celebration of International Women’s Day and Women’s History Month, we shed a light on the brilliant women leaders here at Chuze Fitness. And, beyond celebrating them, we fostered an in-depth conversation around their experiences with gender bias, challenges inside and outside of the fitness industry, and the added challenges for our BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ team. Before we get into the interview, we want to set the stage for this conversation and introduce the topics that we will discuss.

 

Chuze Fitness Leadership

It may come as no surprise that the fitness industry is still dominated by perfect bodies, strong personalities, and, often, a macho mentality. When our founders started Chuze Fitness, they knew that they could do fitness differently. Steeped in kindness, our leaders are welcoming, friendly, and represent all parts of our society. If you have stepped into a Chuze Fitness before, you know that our entire team leads with kindness and intention and leave their egos at the door. We invite our team to show up with pride in who they authentically are and ask that support is given to all others to do the same. We find a powerful beauty in that. It is what sets us apart.

 

What Is Gender Bias?

As humans, our brains are hardwired to place things into categories. Sometimes, this causes us to place certain traits or stereotypes onto a specific set of people. When we link that bias to gender, we call it gender bias. We often see the conversation of gender bias revolve around the positive ways it impacts straight white men. But, biases can impact all groups of people positively and negatively, or something in-between. According to Builitin.com, 42% of women experience gender discrimination at work, 23% of CEOs are women, and women of color hold just 4% of all C-suite roles. With women making up 47% of the total workforce in the United States, you can see some systemic biases at play.

 

Our Teams’ Experience With Gender Bias

As we look at our leadership team at Chuze, much of its makeup is women. From our club management, to district teams, into our home office, and the C-Suite—women are represented at every level. But, that doesn’t mean the career journey has been easy. In the conversation below, Jessica Rocca, District Manager of the Inland Empire, talks openly about her experience with gender bias and how confidence plays a role in leadership:

“[…] I do believe that there is definitely some confidence that we have to navigate as a woman in leadership in general. You know: Are we too strong? Are we too direct? Are we not direct enough? All of these things. I think something that we need to challenge ourselves with in leadership is to be who we are as a person. […].”

 

Gender Bias, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+

And that confidence can be hard to come by. We believe that the best leaders are the ones who lead by example. With heart, humility, and the willingness to help the team achieve a goal. Yet, we know that additional hurdles are set for women in leadership, and beyond this, these hurdles intersect with other layers of a woman’s identity. Our wonderful host, Chelsia Janise, Assistant General Manager at our Chuze Fitness San Bernardino location, talks about the differences in challenges when it comes to our varying backgrounds:

“I think that I’ve faced more challenges with the fact that I am a Black woman more so than the fact that I am a woman. I think that that’s something when it comes to challenging stereotypes or challenging what we are used to seeing as a manager […]. I think that just being us in our own identity, as our own person is a challenge.”

Amelia Hinton, the District Manager of San Diego, shares her experience from two different sides. Prior to 2017, when she had long hair and her gender expression appeared more woman-presenting, she regularly experienced negative bias for being a woman. Yet once she cut her hair, she quickly noticed people started treating her differently. Her words are now taken at face value and she experiences more respect because her hair is short and she is often mistaken to be a man.

Danaia Martel, General Manager of Chuze Fitness Broomfield, relates. She notes that even as a gay woman with short hair who expresses gender in some man-presenting ways, she still experiences disproportionate gender bias: 

“Now that I have Assistant Managers, Brett who is also gay as well, and then Steven who is completely not—even with having all of us on the team, they’ll prefer Steven every time even between us two. That’s just because he is that male figure within the gym.[…] It makes it that much more exciting and powerful to be the change and to show that—regardless of how these people show up—we are still going to be who we are which doesn’t match that energy which is negative.”

 

Challenging Gender Stereotypes

When it comes to challenging gender stereotypes, our team, whether feminine, masculine, soft-spoken, or extroverted, gets things done. Leadership by example helps give confidence to others aiming toward the same trajectory. Chelsia Janise put it beautifully:

“Having been led by you, (Jessica) Garcia, and by (Jessica) Rocca, it gave me a level of confidence that I didn’t necessarily have from my previous jobs, that you both are very much yourselves. Garcia, you are very bubbly, you are very loving and warm, and she’s an amazing manager. It was always this exciting thing—like, yeah I can be myself and I can lead and I can do it really well.”

 

Shattering The Glass Ceiling

Our Vice President of Fitness, Ani Oksayan, started at Chuze as a Group Exercise Instructor—a very welcoming environment for women in fitness. She worked her way through the department with confidence, but as she continued her journey and started sitting at executive tables, that’s when she began to feel her confidence dwindle:

“Is what I have to say truly valuable? Should I not jump in because ‘the grown-ups’ are talking? Even at a place like Chuze where, I will say, is the most tolerant, accepting, and safe place I have ever encountered in the fitness industry. I will say that as women it feels a little bit like that’s where the challenge comes. When it’s time to make your voice heard in a predominantly male room on a predominantly male table—then you get thrown for a loop.”

 

Internal Biases

A lot of the conversation was based around not only external biases but how we feel about ourselves. Like Jessica Rocca and Ani Oksayan talked about above—these ingrained ideas and issues can be hard to navigate. Julia Muzquiz, Director of Recruiting, talks about how the leaders at Chuze value everyone’s thoughts and opinions on the team and that the internal insecurity of not wanting to be difficult is a personal journey for all of the leaders to get through.  

 

How To Be The Change In The Fitness Industry

First, we can start by acknowledging there is an issue. Second, we can support and lift the leaders in our company who inspire and make change every day. And third, we must hit the ground running with tangible action. See the steps we are beginning to take here at Chuze Fitness to more actively listen, learn and fight for all oppressed communities.

We are so proud of our team and all that they accomplish. They are resilient, strong, intelligent, kind, and hold all of the attributes you want in someone in charge of a team. There is so much more to unpack with this conversation. Join us in the entire conversation below!



 

Thank you to the wonderful women who took part in this conversation:

Chelsia Janise (Moderator) – Assistant General Manager at Chuze Fitness San Bernardino

Melissa Sowell – Chief Administration Officer

Jackie Squire – Director of Kids Club

Jessica Rocca – District Manager of the Inland Empire

Amelia Hinton – District Manager of San Diego

Danaia Martel – General Manager of Chuze Fitness Broomfield

Jesenia Rosales – Maintenance Administrator

Jessica Garcia – District Manager of North Denver, Colorado

Ani Oksayan – Vice President of Fitness

Julia Muzquiz – Director of Recruiting

Farel Hruska – Director of Education and Culture

Amanda Schroeder – Marketing & Creative Coordinator

The post Choosing To Challenge: A Conversation With Women Leaders At Chuze appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

On February 23, 2020, Ahmaud Arbery, a young Black man who was out for a jog in his neighborhood of Brunswick, Georgia was chased by men with firearms and brutally murdered as he tried to run and escape for his life. On the 1-year anniversary of Arbery’s death, we invited our Chuze Family to honor Arbery and all of the beautiful Black lives lost to systematic injustice and racism through our Run With Ahmaud virtual event. Tracking movement through the Chuze Fitness app and following an audio-guided 2.32 mile run by Coach Devon Carter on iChuze Fitness, over 1170 Chuze members ran a collective total of 874 miles, unlocking our $1500 donation to the Equal Justice Initiative.

Here at Chuze, we are committed to being a space of kindness, inclusion, and treating all humans with love and respect, but it has become increasingly clear to us that we must do more to actively listen, learn and fight for oppressed communities. See the steps we are beginning to take on our Chuze People page.

“Keep fighting. No matter what, keep fighting. Keep praying, hoping, believing and fighting.”

-Wanda Cooper Jones, Ahmaud Arbery’s mother

Thank you to the San Diego Business Journal for their coverage of our Run With Ahmaud event and our growing initiatives to strengthen diversity, equity and inclusion within the Chuze community and beyond. 

The post The Chuze Family Honors Ahmaud Arbery appeared first on Chuze Fitness.

The Basics of Core Training

A good workout routine is holistic and balanced; just like there’s no such thing as spot training, there is certainly no good fitness regimen that doesn’t consider the whole picture of the body.

A core component (pun intended) of such a fitness regimen is core training. If you’ve never heard of core training, we’ve put together this core exercise training 101 article to get you started. 

What is Core Training?

In the most basic terms, core training is fitness training that focuses on the muscles in your core and your core stability. 

Your core muscles are made up of everything in your trunk—this includes all of your abdominal muscles, sides, chest, and back. Basically, anything under the neck, between the arms, and above the legs is your core. 

Core workout training might look like the traditional movements we associate with a good old 6-pack: sit ups, planks, etc. But core strength exercises that support your spine, keep you balanced, and force you to move in absolutely any way you can imagine are a component of core training. 

Why is Core Strength Training Important?

Strong core training is important for one simple reason: it enables ease of movement. 

What does that mean? Effectively, it means that core training makes your life in the physical realm easier. 

Imagine the last time you strained a muscle in your back or completely threw it out. Maybe you were turning to put on your seatbelt or picking up a grocery bag. Either way, as your muscles reacted poorly to that movement, you may have been feeling the potential effects of a weak core. 

Training your core muscles prevents the muscle strains we feel as we move through our everyday lives. We all live in unique and dynamic ways and it’s our job to ensure that our bodies are able to support all of the movements that help make life so much fun. The freedom to move is a huge benefit of core training—a benefit that is the best when you don’t even have to think about it!

More than just making movement easier, core training prevents injuries by way of improving balance and supports posture. Plus, it improves athletic performance; any and all sport movements require thoughtfully developed core strength.

So now instead of asking yourself, “Why is core training important?” it’s time to ask yourself how you can possibly live without it. 

How Can I Start Core Training? 

If you’re looking to get started with core training, we’re happy to tell you that it’s very easy to do and there are an infinite amount of ways to do it. Getting started just comes down to what movements make you feel the most comfortable at first and what movements you can learn to push yourself in the long run. 

If you’ve never worked core training before—or maybe you did a long time ago and decided it’s time to get back to it—you can start with simple movements like dead bugs, planks, and crunches. 

If you’re looking to up your core training game, you can go crazy with v-ups, Turkish get-ups and reaching your toes to a pull-up bar. And if these terms sound foreign to you, we have an article to get you started with some of those movements and plenty of gym space for you to work in at all of our locations.

And if you would prefer to ease into core training with the guidance of an instructor, classes like Killer Core and Glutes, Abs Central, Mat Pilates, and PIYO are already waiting for you in-club. Or, try a week of similar classes on our digital fitness platform, iChuze Fitness, for free!

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