Glorify Your Guts, Part II

After I started working out with the Pilates method, it didn’t take me long to realize that lot of people do NOT like to work their midsection. Many say that ab work is the one part of their exercise routine that they will gladly skip most often. And they do.

Now, seeing as how I sort of force people all day long to work their abs, I’ve looked for ways to raise awareness about the goodness of a regular core workout. So this week’s Pick One Thing was the easiest pick ever. It belongs under the larger heading of Guts started last week. I give you: the Muscles of the Human Abdomen. (< click there and take a peek. I could spell them out, but really there’s only 5 or 6 of them to get to know. Simple and specified. Gotta love ‘em.)

So why do folks have trouble motivating themselves to give their abdomen the level of attention they afford their other parts? The first reason is probably the most obvious—it’s hard work and it feels strenuous. Too much of the wrong kind of ab work will wreck havoc on an unstable torso. Although, even when you work your abs the right way, you do feel stuff. Right there in your gut. It’s a tough love thing. We’ll get to that later.

Another reason people don’t feel motivated to work on their abs is because they aren’t consciously relying on them to perform physical actions in their daily lives. You build your bicep and you see it bulge a little every time you pick something up. You use your legs going up and down stairs. But you work your abs and…well…what? What do they do for you, really?

Umm…they only help you breathe, stand, and move, for goodness sake! Your abdominal muscles basically have two purposes in your body. One is respiration. As you know, breathing is necessary. The other purpose is to support your spine and its movements. As important as that is (unless you’re a jellyfish) I’ll admit that this information, like many ab workouts, can seem boring.

So that is yet another reason people hate on ab work: What to do? What’s fun? You’re sick of crunches--okay, wait. All this complaining is not good for your stomach. Let’s move on to the benefits now.

Health & Performance: A huge motivator for some people is the desire to relieve pain. And another is to build total body strength-- core strength is directly related to physical function and physical achievement. And that matters to quality of life. Carry a baby, hit a baseball, straighten out your golf drive, garden--all with the help of better ab-ility. (Catch that? ABility? I made that up.)

You need your core to do just about everything better, and to be less injury-prone. If you sit at the computer or drive a truck all day, we should take a look at strengthening your deepest abs to support your back. Pregnant or post-partum? Core work can help with much of what you’re worried about.

Here’s some good news: there is no need for you to do any sort of workout that causes you pain. Period. You can do effective work that is still gentle. Just ask a professional.

There is neither any need to get all complicated with big long dedicated ab workouts, either. We can handle the basics rather quick-like and economically, as you’ll read below. But just in case you’re not convinced, consider one more potential benefit.

Hotness: Your abs include a a lot of muscle tissue that is close to the skin. Surface muscle is the ticket when in comes to motivation for a lot of people—because these are the muscles we see. They matter for appearance: trimmer waistlines and flatter bellies for women; V-shaped torsos and six-packs for men. Just as it was with the ancient Greeks, these qualities are high on the list of desirable physical traits in many cultures.

(Don't worry. Happily both genders look for nice eyes, faces or smiles first. And brains, kindness and a sense of humor rule over ALL the physical traits, just so you know. Those are other One Things to look forward to.)

For the aesthetically-minded, I have a tip for creating more self-motivation to keep your abs top of mind. Take a picture of the midsection in question and place it in regular view. Then take a few more shots as the weeks go by, while continuing your best attempts at exercise and reducing body fat. Guess what? You will see a difference in yourself that you will like. It’s a wonderful result when your too-tight pants are looser and you stand taller. Go ahead, turn to the side. Your success over time will breed enthusiasm, trust me.

Okay, Let’s Get this Over With

I’m assuming you’re convinced now. Youll pick your abs. If you’re a client of mine, you’ve already got your main points covered. If you see me only once a week, then please, tell me you want to know more about supplementing at home. Everyone else, use this simple advice to help you become one with your gut!

1. Focus on your posture. Zipper up your abs. Relieve all that tension from your puffed up chest, craned neck and hunched shoulders. Stand tall, and imagine dropping an anchor your tailbone. If you live life with your abdominals engaged like this and your spine in a long, neutral position, it won’t be long before your awareness becomes practice. People I know have lost 2” in their waistline simply by holding their abs in and standing tall while performing daily activities. Correct your posture and tummy all day long for a month or so. It's addicting.
2. Visit with a personal trainer just once, with specific goals stated: you want safe, effective core work that you can perform on your own, a couple times a week to get started. No big commitment there. People like me can help a newbie get a start-up routine down pat in a 1-hour appointment. If you can, perform regular maintenance by revisiting with your expert advisor every 8 – 12 weeks for progressions.
3. Get The Pilates Body by Brooke Siler. It’s my favorite book for beginners. It’s never ideal if you haven’t experienced live instruction, but it’s way better than nothing. A bit of a chick book, but the models show inspiring form.
4. Invest in a stability ball, also known as a Swiss or Pilates ball. There’s a nice little book called Get On The Ball that features some great visuals to help you get started. Pick five exercises and do them three times a week. Change them up or add more on after 3 weeks. Add in some cardio, too! (Burn more fat and reveal more abs.)
5. If you won't invest much time, and especially if you’re a guy, check out this book by Kurt Brungardt: Essential Abs, An Intense Six-Week Program. He is often quoted in Men’s Health magazine. He also produced "3-Minute Abs". I like his approach because it promises to be doable, which makes a difference in the average day.

Finally,
6. Laugh a lot. Laughing is good work for your abs. Never mind the jolly stereotype. Enjoy your week, and learn to enjoy those abs!