Fitness goes to the 'core'

KNIGHT RIDDER
Shapely biceps and an aerobic-honed body are impressive. Tight abs are good, too.
But the current flurry in fitness centers on one word: core.
The idea here is that muscles surrounding the body's trunk -- those that keep you breathing and your spine upright -- should be as strong as those biceps.
Even accomplished athletes have slower reaction without core strength, according to Time magazine. Without it, older people are more likely to lose their balance and fall.
Lisa Looy, aerobic director at Woodside Tennis and Health Club in Westwood, Kan., says her club has added two classes devoted to core. It's about "stabilizing your body and keeping your torso strong," she says. It's focused less on aesthetics and more on functioning in everyday life.
You can do some conditioning on your own, with a mat. Short sit-ups have long been considered one way to strengthen those muscles, Time reports. Lie on your back, push in your bellybutton and raise your shoulders an inch or two in the air and slowly lower them.
Another exercise involves holding the push-up position with your weight on hands and toes for a while. Yet another is to face the floor on your hands and knees and extend your right arm and left leg for a few seconds. Then switch sides.