9781422286951 An Integrated Life of Fitness Core Workouts

The other way that core workouts can increase your self-esteem is through making your body look healthier. The shape of your body has nothing to do with how beautiful you are, or whether you’re a good per- son or not. Sometimes it does have something to do with your health, though. For many people, being overweight or obese puts strain on the body and keeps it from working as well as it could. Being overweight or obese also impacts self-esteem because our society tends to tell us that thin is beautiful. Core workouts can help people lose weight in a healthy way and also build up strength at the same time. Core exercises tone muscles and burn calories, which leads to weight loss. Remember, the best way to tell your body’s health is to think about how it feels doing things. If your body is working well and is strong, you’re well on your way to physical fitness. Exercise has a lot to do with emotional health too, not just physical health. Remember that your brain releases chemicals called neurotrans- mitters, which regulate moods. There are lots of different neurotransmit- ters, but several of the ones that go along with good moods are re- leased during exercise. Core workouts can increase these good moods, both right away and also over time. So if you’re having a bad day, or even a bad month or two, try a core workout. You might see benefits right away, as well as over the long term. GOOD POSTURE If you ever get told to sit up straight and stop slouching, core workouts could be just what you need. Bad posture is partly due to weak core muscles. People are more likely to slouch if it takes a lot of effort to actu- ally sit up or stand up straight. Working on the core muscles should improve your posture. It won’t take as much energy to sit up straight because your muscles will be able to do more with less effort. Good posture is important for several reasons. People who slouch over with bad posture may seem like they have poor self-esteem or aren’t interested in what’s going on around them. Good posture, on the

The Benefits of Core Workouts

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