Abs of Steel

Importance of Toning Your Abdominals and Strengthening Your Core.

By
Relationship Advice Expert April Masini

Q: Dear April Masini,

I'm trying to get my body into shape and I am not sure where to start. Everywhere I look, I'm seeing ideas for ab exercises. But before I get rock hard abs, I want to get the flab off my arms and tone up my legs. Why is our society so obsessed with flat stomachs and does it really matter if my abs are beautiful? I've had babies for God's sake; I don't expect my abs to be perfect.

Sincerely,

Unsure About Abs

A:

Dear Unsure About Abs, 

To tell you the truth, it doesn’t matter how strong your arms are or how muscular your legs are if you don’t have strong abdominals in the core of your body. Your core is what allows you to bend over and pick up your children. It is what keeps you from falling on your face when you trip. It is what allows you to carry groceries into the house or put them from the cart into your car. Without a strong core, nothing else works well. Key to core strength is posture and alignment, so keeping your posture healthy will make toning your abdominals a more graceful process. And if you don’t believe me, believe this:

Not taking care of your abdominals and sitting around inactive will lead to the following problems:

· Back problems: Lower back problems are common, especially as people get older and lose muscle tone in their abdominal muscles. It may not seem at first that abdominal muscles have anything to do with your back, but they do. None of your body parts works in isolation. They’re all connected. Muscles in the middle of the body interweave, so if your abs are weak, there will be extra stress on other muscles and bones, and it’s very easy to strain, sprain or just hurt your body. The sheer weight and pull of gravity that a jelly belly creates will stress the back and back muscles. Weak abs can also negatively affect your legs and buttocks. A chain reaction beginning with weak abs can also hurt your shoulders and neck. One of the most effective and non-invasive remedies for simple and common back pain is abdominal exercise.

· Joints: Abdominal muscles that are weak steady the middle of the body. If abs are not strong it is possible to injure joints – even those joints that seem to be remotely connected to the abdominals – like knees, wrists, and hands.

· Posture: Abdominal muscles that are weak can cause the body to have trouble supporting the entire skeletal body’s weight. This can lead to erratic posture as a way of compensating for the lack of abdominal muscles needed to stand up straight and support the body’s bone weight on a regular basis.

· Sports injuries: Any athlete that does not have strong abdominals will be more likely to injure themselves when throwing a football, pitching a baseball, or competing or playing in other sports actions where the abdominals support a steady stance. In competitive sports – whether the player is a pro or a Saturday afternoon pick up game player, the spontaneity and uncertainty of a play may cause a player to move quickly. The more abdominal support an athlete has, the more support his body will have for that quick play.

· Fatigue: On the flip side, strong abs can be a huge asset to athletes – or anyone who wants more energy in everyday life. If you like to be active, then having strong abdominals can cut down fatigue if you’re swimming, biking, running, dancing or hiking – among other activities like power shopping, vacation touring, or keeping up with a two-year-old.

· Household injuries: When a normal person takes a tumble on an icy sidewalk or a spill on a wet kitchen floor, they may be more able to catch themselves if their abdominals are strong enough to support some quick and fancy footwork to right themselves.

· Psychic setbacks: Anyone who is sedentary or unable to exercise often feels older and less "ready for anything," or spontaneity, than people who are fit, flexible and strong. Regular exercise and a fit body will make anyone feel more confident and attractive than someone who doesn’t move around.

April Masini -- nicknamed "the new millennium's Dear Abby" by the media, is author of the best-selling books Date Out Of Your League and Think & Date Like A Man, the two (just released) step-by-step dating and relationship manuals, Ideas for a Fun Date and Romantic Date Ideas, and the critically acclaimed dating and relationship online magazine www.AskApril.com.

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