This new genre of exercise is about developing strength from the inside out

Fitness fads come and go faster than Hollywood romances, but if there’s one habit you should pick up for good, it’s core training. The hottest fitness trend to hit the gyms of late, core training includes any class that works the Tranversus Abdominis, a deep abdominal muscle often ignored by other exercise programmes. This muscle, in particular, has a starring postural role and is crucial in the stabilisation of the lumber spine because it hugs your innards like a snug, muscular corset. Recommended by sport scientists, physiotherapists and osteopaths, core stability is the new fitness buzzword that quickly gets you back to basics.

‘The goal of core training is to work the area that supports your trunk and spine,’ explains Yvette Flacke, Trainee Manager for Body Training Systems, the company which recently launched BodyBalance, a core training fitness programme. There are sound and valid anatomical reasons for doing core strengthening, which are easy to see, once you understand the relationship between the stomach muscles and the spine, adds Flacke. By creating a firm and strong stomach, you will stabilise the spine so it acts like a ‘girdle of strength,’ she concludes.

It’s crucial that your core is strong because it comes into play, just about every time you move. A strong, stable core can make other sports, like running, easier. For example, if your spine acts as a powerful base for your legs, you will be able to put more power behind each step and run with less effort. Core training will also tone your torso and abs and keep your lower back healthy, by improving your posture. If your core is strong, your lower ab muscles will be drawn in towards the spine and help you sit up straight. In essence, core training is an intelligent training structure, because it strengthens weak muscles and imbalances from the inside out.

Flacke goes on to say the buzz for core training has been such a massive hit that, more classes have been created internationally to teach it. Boredom rarely sets in, as the workouts do not adopt just one discipline but embrace many fitness principles, such as t’ai chi, yoga and Pilates – which keep the mind as well as the body enlivened and fit. ‘It appeals to everybody and can help improve flexibility, joint mobility, strength, endurance and coordination. It also helps increase bone density by strengthening your bones, through exercises that rely on the resistance of your own body weight. In no time at all, you will feel stronger, stand taller and experience a deeper level of relaxation,’ adds Flacke. Before now, the only exercise classes that paid homage to your core were Pilates and yoga, but soon you can try these three at a gym near you:

1. Bodybalance
   The low-down: A strength and flexibility workout that uses yoga principles, such as breathing, concentration, relaxation and moves from t’ai chi. The workout starts with a thorough warm up and overall body stretch, to make the muscles more pliable. This is followed by dynamic stretches, balancing and standing poses that will elongate your muscles and make them look leaner. The slow and controlled movements improve body strength, posture, flexibility and muscle tone. The one-hour class is pre-choreographed to music. The choreography changes every 12 weeks so you have enough time to become familiar with the moves before new ones are introduced.

   Further Information: Call FitPro at 0990 133434 for classes near you.

2. Reebok core training
   The low-down: Already a hot workout in the States, Reebok Core Training is set to hit our shores this spring. Hailed as a fitness breakthrough, it’s based on the premise that, if you improve torso strength, limb function will also improve. The workout focuses on conditioning your core. You achieve this through variations of traditional step class movements, while standing on the Reebok Core Board – a round, slightly wobbly platform about two inches high that tilts and turns with your body’s movements. Gin Miller, an American fitness expert and one of Core Training’s creators, says, ‘This is a dynamic strength and conditioning programme, where you’re constantly being challenged to use multiple muscle groups, including your hips, legs and back, to balance yourself on the board.’ You end up integrating, not isolating, muscle activity, and the result is a fun, challenging workout that ultimately improves strength, agility and overall performance. Best of all, anyone, from a novice exerciser to a competitive athlete, can benefit from core training.

   Further Information: Due to launch around April. Ring Reebok on 01524 591888 for classes near you.

3. Synergie
   The Low-down: Synergie is a new class using mats, hand weights and body bars to help you analyse your own body movements and identify weaker muscle groups and imbalances. ‘Educate’ and ‘Motivate’ are the key words for this exciting class, that fuses core stability – Pilates, flexibility, yoga, tai chi, and traditional sculpting exercises like weight lifting – to tone specific muscles in the tummy or arms. The class kicks off with a general warm up, then targets all the major skeletal and muscular systems by addressing posture, breathing, lumbar and pelvic stability and flexibility. You can personalise the class, depending on your fitness level and objectives, by choosing a 45-, 60- or 90-minute version of the workout.

   Further Information: Available at L.A. Fitness. Ring 020 73668020 for details.