What comes to mind when I say the word “abs”? Think about the infomercials advertising “6 second abs” or the latest issue of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit? Most people focus on training their abs to look slimmer or sexier. But do you realize the importance of your abs in everyday activities? Most yoga instructors do. And that’s why one of the focuses of yoga is to develop core abdominal strength.

important for posture

Your abs grip your spine and pelvis, helping to balance your back into good posture. Often when the abdominals and back muscles do not support the back in the correct posture, back pain occurs. Did you know that back pain accounts for approximately 50 billion dollars in healthcare costs each year? This is not something to be taken lightly, so remember that one of the best ways to prevent back pain is to strengthen your abs.

It often takes a conscious effort to sit in good posture. But even if you get into a good sitting posture, you’ll need abdominal and back strength to maintain it! How are you sitting in front of your computer right now? I bet most of you are sitting in a slumped posture… some more than others. To sit in good posture, you should have a slight inward curve in your back with your ears directly over your shoulders.

One way to strengthen your abs while working at your computer is to use an exercise ball as your chair. Yes, you heard right! In fact, I am sitting on my exercise ball as I write this article.

important for balance

Without abdominal strength, you will have difficulty sitting, standing, and walking. Your center of gravity is located at your sacrum or roughly just below your belly button. Therefore, your abs play an important role in keeping you balanced at your center of gravity.

Think of someone who is quadriplegic or paralyzed from the neck down. They cannot sit up by themselves because their back and abdominal muscles are paralyzed. In other words, they are no longer able to balance. By contrast, a paraplegic, someone paralyzed from the waist down, is able to balance and sit up on their own because only their legs are paralyzed, leaving their abdominal and back muscles intact. This shows that our abs are important for our balance.

If you are now sitting on your exercise ball, you can practice some balance exercises and strengthen your abs simply by moving your hips forward, backward, and from side to side. Be sure to pull your stomach in during these movements.

Exercise your abs

Now that you know the importance of your abs, you need to integrate abdominal strengthening into your regular strength training. The abs should be trained like any other muscle: 8 to 12 repetitions, 3 times a week.

This is where I suggest you start: Best Abs Exercises: http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/best-ab-exercises.html

Remember the abs! They are more important than you think!