We’ve all heard how important our core is… and let’s be honest, who doesn’t want a flat, toned tummy, or even some 6-pack abs!!??
I totally get why people want the ripped tummies, but it turns out that’s actually not the most important thing when it comes to your core…
But not all core exercises are created equal.
Whether you’re a regular gym goer, weekend warrior or CrossFit superstar, mobility training is an essential component of any quality fitness program.
Warming up with some quick, deliberate mobility exercises can be the difference between hitting a new personal record and crushing failure, humiliation and potential injury. (okay, maybe that’s a little dramatic, but you get the point).
The fitness industry has evolved a lot in the last couple decades… constantly innovating new and different ways to “lose weight faster than ever!” and best of all it will “only take 10 minutes a day!”.
In today’s fast paced society, people are constantly seeking the best results in the shortest amount of time with as little effort as possible resulting in multiple shortcuts that compromise form for gains.
If you want to improve your squat, start with mobility, not more weight.
Watch a toddler pick up a toy. Feet flat. Hips low. Back straight. No effort at all.
Now watch most adults do the same thing. They bend at the waist, reach with one arm, and push off a knee to get back up.
Same task. Very different body.
Somewhere between age 3 and 40, most of us lose the squat. It didn’t get harder. We just stopped doing it.
That matters, because the squat isn’t a gym move. It’s how we get out of a chair. Off the toilet. Up from the floor. It’s how we lift the laundry basket, the groceries, and the kid who fell asleep in the car. We do it dozens of times a day without a second thought.
How well we squat shapes how easily we move through every one of those moments.
In one study of more than 2,000 adults, the ability to sit down on the floor and get back up without using your hands was linked to how long people live.
