What is your core and why is it so important?

A well rounded fitness programme should always include core exercises and you will often hear fitness instructors talking about 'activating and strengthening' the core muscles - but what exactly does this mean and why is this so important?

The core muscles

A common misconception is that the outer abdominal muscles are 'the core', or even that having a six-pack means having a strong core.

In fact, the core muscles include all the inner and outer muscles of the trunk, this includes the transverse and rectus abdominus which run along your front, the lower back and outer-middle back muscles, as well as muscles in between the spine bones, the external and internal obliques which run down the sides of your trunk to your hip, the diaphragm and the pelvic floor.

And of course, the main function of the core muscles is to contain and protect vital organs.

Our London personal trainers are often asked what the difference is between Pilates and Yoga. In this blog we will define Pilates and Yoga. We will also describe the benefits of each practice to your personal training sessions. Furthermore we will give you examples of some of the exercises involved. We hope that this will help you to discover one or the other, or perhaps both.