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What Happened When I Did Core Exercises DailyRockaa – Getty Images<\/p>\n
I spent most of my life as a dancer, with several hours a week in the studio serving as my primary mode of exercise. But since my dance \u201ccareer\u201d came to an abrupt halt a few years ago, I\u2019m always looking for ways to rebuild the strength and flexibility<\/a> I lost in what felt like the blink of an eye. A regular Pilates<\/a> practice and return to the studio via low-stakes open-level ballet classes have brought me a long way in the past two years, but what would happen to my body if I actually committed to doing core exercises daily? I tried it in the name of science to find out.<\/p>\n Meet the experts: Patricia Greaves, C.P.T.<\/a>, certified fitness trainer, precision nutrition coach, and founder of StrongHer Personal Training; Anna Di, D.C., C.E.S.<\/a>, corrective exercise specialist, chiropractor, and owner of UNITY Chiropractic Wellness in New York, NY.<\/p>\n Core strength gets a lot of buzz in fitness circles, but what actually makes it so important? Patricia Greaves, C.P.T.<\/a>, a certified fitness trainer, precision nutrition coach, and founder of StrongHer Personal Training, puts it perfectly. \u201cA strong core<\/a> is the foundation of your body\u2019s strength and stability. Think of it like the trunk of a tree,\u201d she explains. \u201cWhen you train your core regularly, you strengthen the muscles that support your body\u2019s frame and improve posture<\/a>, coordination, and balance. Core exercises support your everyday movements that involve standing, lifting, bending, walking, or climbing stairs.\u201d<\/p>\n So was my body magically transformed after two weeks of daily core exercises? Here\u2019s what happened.<\/p>\n First, what is a core exercise?<\/p>\n Before we get to the core of it (pun intended), let\u2019s dispel some myths. What immediately comes to mind for many of us as classic core exercises<\/a>\u2014think crunches, sit-ups, and Russian twists\u2014are only scratching the surface. So what does it actually take to strengthen your core? \u201cI always tell patients that core strength is not about how well you can crunch your body forward. It is about how strong you are in a neutral position,\u201d says Anna Di, D.C., C.E.S.<\/a>, a corrective exercise specialist, chiropractor, and owner of UNITY Chiropractic Wellness in New York, NY.<\/p>\n Maintaining a neutral spine position looks a little different for everyone, but it essentially means that your back isn\u2019t excessively rounded forward or arched back, even as you move through an exercise. \u201cA neutral spine is the safest position to be doing things in because there is an even distribution of weight on your discs, and you\u2019re not straining your ligaments holding your body up,\u201d Di explains.<\/p>\n Another common mistake is thinking that core strength starts and ends with ab work. \u201cSome people think that doing endless crunches is necessary to strengthen your core or that attaining a \u2018six-pack\u2019 is the result of a strong core,\u201d says Greaves. In reality, \u201cyour core involves more than your abs; it includes all the muscles from below your shoulder down to your pelvis. If a leaner, tighter midsection is desired, nutrition also needs to be considered alongside core-strengthening exercises.\u201d<\/p>\n Finally, it isn\u2019t just the exercises you do that build core strength, but how you do them. According to Greaves, another common mistake \u201cis rushing through your reps instead of controlling the movement, breathing through the exercise, and creating a mind-body connection.\u201d<\/p>\n Based on recommendations from Greaves and Di, I settled on the following exercises for my daily core routine during this experiment, which took me about 15 minutes in total:<\/p>\n Dead bugs (alternating 10 reps per side): \u201cThis move helps you build deep core stability with control using the mind-muscle connection,\u201d Greaves explains.<\/p>\n Glute bridges<\/a> (three sets of 10 reps, with a 30-second rest in between each set): \u201cI love this exercise because it not only supports your core muscles, but also strengthens your pelvic floor and glute muscles,\u201d Greaves says.<\/p>\n Bird dogs (alternating 10 reps per side): \u201cBird dogs teach you how to maintain that [neutral] position while your arms and legs are moving, which is how your body actually functions in real life,\u201d according to Di.<\/p>\n Forearm planks (three 30 to 45-second planks, with a 30-second rest in between each): \u201cPlanks teach you how to hold that neutral position and build strength there,\u201d Di explains.<\/p>\n What happened when I did core exercises daily<\/p>\n At this point, no one should be surprised to learn that I didn\u2019t suddenly grow a six-pack in my two weeks of core exercises. But I did notice some subtle yet significant changes, the most obvious being that the core routine felt easier and easier as my experiment went on.<\/p>\n The results were clear in how my forearm planks progressed throughout the two weeks. Per Greaves\u2019 suggestion, I started with a 30-second plank, which was doable but challenging. By a few days in, upping my planks to 45 seconds each felt natural. The same went for the other exercises in my routine; I felt my limits expanding as the days went on, and adding more reps didn\u2019t feel like much of a struggle.<\/p>\n While I can\u2019t say I observed a major difference in my posture\u2014a long day at the office still always ends with me slouching \u00e0 la question mark, alas\u2014I did find the daily movement curbed some of the stiffness in my back. I have scoliosis, and I\u2019ll be the first to admit that I often slack on the back stretches recommended by my orthopedist, a bad habit that doesn\u2019t do my lower back pain<\/a> any favors (got to love the consequences of my own actions).<\/p>\n Weekly Pilates has made me more generally aware of how to keep my spine in a neutral position and avoid flaring my ribs, but the daily core exercises took things a step further. Working on my core more often made me subconsciously focus more on my spine position as I went about my day, and I found myself complaining less about back pain.<\/p>\n Benefits of doing core exercises<\/p>\n As my experiment reveals, it only takes two to three weeks of consistent core exercises (at least three times a week) for most people to start to feel the benefits of a stronger core.<\/p>\n Improved balance, posture, and stability<\/p>\n Strengthening your core has ripple effects that impact your entire body. \u201cWithin a couple of weeks, you will feel your posture improve, and be able to stand and sit straighter without thinking about it,\u201d Di explains. \u201cYou will also become more aware of how to brace your core during daily activities.\u201d<\/p>\n Better mobility<\/p>\n