As part of that plan, core, can help. But wait, what are core exercises? How are they different to abs? Aren’t they the same thing? core,? ¿En qué se diferencian de los abdominales? ¿No son lo mismo?

The answer is no!

What are the core muscles?

Your core is a set of set of muscles that extend far beyond your abs. They include the abdominal muscles and back muscles, including the muscles along the spine, as well as your hips and pelvis muscles. These are mostly hidden beneath the muscles people typically train with traditional ab exercises like situps or crunches.

What are the benefits of training your core muscles?

There are many benefits to training your core muscles.

The short of it….core exercises:

The long of it...

They help you flatten your tummy faster than other exercises

Unlike many traditional ab exercises like crunches, which target a specific set of ab muscles, most core exercises work multiple muscle groups at once. And not just all your ab muscles (you heard right…all of them), but certain exercises like planks will also work your glutes, back muscles and arm muscles too. That’s right, say goodbye to those granny arms!

Los ejercicios que trabajan varios grupos musculares a la vez se denominan “ejercicios compuestos”. No sólo te ayudan a construir más músculo con mayor rapidez, sino que también queman más calorías que los ejercicios aislados (ejercicios que se dirigen a un solo grupo muscular).

Te ayudan a dejar de orinarte cuando te ríes o estornudas

If this happens to you, rest assured you are not alone. Nearly half of women over age 50 report bladder leakage problems [2]. Pasa con frecuencia porque los músculos del suelo pélvico se debilitan con la edad o el parto.

So, how do core exercises help with this?

The pelvic floor muscle - you guessed it – is part of the core muscles. By strengthening these muscles, it can help reduce the risk of leakage.

They help you prevent injury and falls

As we age, our muscles weaken and bones weaken, leaving us more susceptible to falls and injury [3]. Los músculos del core no sólo nos ayudan a dar forma y esculpir nuestra zona media, sino que también desempeñan un papel importante en la estabilización de la columna vertebral, por lo que el fortalecimiento de estos músculos nos ayuda a mejorar el equilibrio, la postura y la movilidad general, reduciendo el riesgo de caídas y lesiones [4, 5].

Also, certain core exercises, like planks, are isometric exercises [5]. This means they don’t require any movement to perform, but rather are a contraction of muscles in a static position.

These have the added benefit of not requiring you to bend or flex your spine, like you do when you perform a crunch or a sit-up, helping keep pressure off your lower back and preventing injury in this area.

5 ejercicios de core que debes hacer

There is an infinite number of core exercises that you can do!

Here are 5 core exercises you can start with to help blast that belly away!

Remember that doing these exercises with the correct form is far more important than the number of reps you can perform. Lastly, listen to your body and if you feel any pain stop the exercise immediately.

1. Plank or Modified plank
2. Side plank
3. Ground toe touches
4. Bird dog
5. Glute bridge

Comienza apoyándote en las manos y las rodillas. Contrae los músculos abdominales y baja la parte superior del cuerpo sobre los antebrazos, alineando los hombros directamente sobre los codos. Apoya el peso de la parte inferior del cuerpo en las puntillas, con la espalda recta, haciendo que tu cuerpo se parezca a una “tabla” lo más que puedas.

Reps

Hold the position for 30 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds and repeat for a total of 2 sets.

Recuéstate sobre tu lado izquierdo con las piernas rectas y los pies colocados uno encima del otro. Apoya el cuerpo en el antebrazo izquierdo, levantando las caderas del suelo hasta que tu espalda esté en línea recta. Contrae los músculos de los abdominales mientras lo haces. Mantén esta posición durante 30 segundos, luego cambia al otro lado y repite.

Reps

Hold the position for 30 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds and repeat for a total of 2 sets.

Lying on your back, bring your legs up with your toes pointed out. Keep your knees soft and your legs slightly apart. Bending at the knee, lower your feet and touch the ground with your toes, then bring them back to the starting position.

Try to focus all of your attention on keeping your abdominal muscles tight to support this movement and make sure your lower back doesn’t lift off the mat.

Reps

Do two or three rounds of 30 seconds, with a 15 second break in between.

Start on all fours on the mat. Now extend your left arm out straight in front of you at the same time that you lift your right leg straight out behind you, then steadily bring them both back to the starting position and repeat with the other extremities.

Reps

Do 2 sets of 30 seconds each.

Wait, isn’t this for your glutes? It certainly is, but when done correctly it is also a great core strengthener.

Recuéstate boca arriba en la esterilla con los pies apoyados en el piso. Al exhalar, levanta las caderas del suelo para formar un “puente”. Aprieta los glúteos.

Reps

Mantén esta posición durante 30 segundos, descansa 15 segundos y vuelve a realizarla.

¡Listo!

Empieza a incorporar estos ejercicios a tu rutina habitual o combínalos en un entrenamiento. Si estás empezando, intenta realizar estos ejercicios al menos dos veces por semana. ¡Empezarás a sentir y ver los beneficios en poco tiempo!