Why Foundation Training Is Important
Gravity is a concept often overlooked in day-to-day life. However, when you think about it, gravity is something that the human body constantly endures. Perhaps because it is a constant force on our bodies, we don’t often notice gravity’s effect on us—that is until our body starts to ache. Gravity continuously pulls your skeletal structure, muscles, and everything in between towards earth, keeping you grounded.
For the most part, our bodies have physically evolved to accommodate gravity’s effect. This is one of the reasons why our muscles wrap around our bones. Muscles act as stability for bones to hold their structure rather than collapsing onto one another and compressing downwards due to gravity.
However, our bodies progressively lose muscle mass and bone density as we age. And working a desk job also takes a physical toll on our bodies, as we are not moving and working our muscles to keep them strong and supportive. If we’re not working to maintain our body’s physical fitness, we begin feeling the effects of gravity in the form of aches and pains. Eventually, it impacts our quality of life.
This is why foundation exercise training and learning about these fundamentals is important.
What is Foundation Training?
Foundation training is a gravity-based strength-training exercise that focuses on the interconnectivity of muscle structures to promote a functional and healthy body. As explained in its title, foundation training builds a strong foundation for your entire body to function. Working on individual muscles, it works to allow each muscle to work in conjunction with the rest of your body. In short, when you are practicing foundation training, you are working to balance all muscle groups which allows for you to move more efficiently now and as you age. Since we know that falls are the leading cause of injury in seniors, it is essential to build core strength as early as possible to maintain stability and balance for the long run.
Foundation Training Importance
As mentioned above, foundation training is important because it combats gravity’s long-term impact on the body, specifically the spine and surrounding core muscles, which support posture and movement.
No, the core isn’t just that six-pack some of us have longed for. Core muscles exist between your shoulders and extend through your mid-body until you hit your pelvis—they’re the muscles that surround your core. They connect to the spine, which is the key structure that holds, makes space for, and connects your limbs, internal organs, muscles, respiratory system, and nervous system—think of them as your trunk. Your core is what holds you upright, allows you to twist and turn, and includes muscles in your front and back body.
The importance of foundation strength training is that it supports your body to prevent compression, injury, and pain and allows your body to sustain its strength and overall health for the long run—which is what we’re all about.
How to Incorporate Foundation Training Into Your Workout Routine
Implementing foundation training into your workout routine does not require a massive shift in what you may already have scheduled. Simply add it to the beginning or end of your workout to ensure you’re effectively strengthening your body’s core foundation.
Because foundation training exercises are centered around gravity, very few require equipment—they instead use gravity as a source of weight resistance. The common movement used are hinges, meaning you hinge at the hips to complete movements. This motion helps us to continue to be able to bend over and pick things up, and build and improve functional movement in our bodies.
If you’re looking for guidance on where to begin with your training program, this article is a great resource, and if you need a visual, this one is great for you. We also encourage you to visit your local Chuze Fitness Center for additional resources and to access state-of-the-art fitness equipment to help you achieve your goals efficiently, effectively, and safely.