Master Your Core summary

How’s your posture? Be honest. Are your shoulders slumped? Is your neck craned forward? Is your back rounded like a turtle? If so, you’re not alone. 

On average, American adults sit for six and a half hours every day. Exhaustion, stress, and gravity cause many of them, especially those that work at computers, to have a neglected posterior chain, or “dormant bottom syndrome.” In other words, the muscles on the front of their bodies are tight from constant use while those on the back side are weak. As a result, their posture is a mess.

Jessica was wakeboarding at 25 mph when she had the accident. Now, her knee was ripped to shreds; the bone, cartilage, and tendons were torn, along with all four ligaments and a major artery. But on the way to the hospital, Jessica didn’t panic. She meditated, focused on her breathing, and traded her pain for gratitude that she was alive. And just months after her injury, Jessica returned to work as a wildlife guide and naturalist – with a fully functional leg.

All her life, Jessica had empowered her core not only as an active outdoorswoman, but also through her mental outlook of optimism, intellectual curiosity, and gratitude. This resilient mindset and strong mind-body connection played a huge role in her recovery.

As you’ve seen, your ability to thrive isn’t just about being in good physical shape; it also involves your mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. These aspects are all connected, which is why people get depressed when they don’t exercise – or feel at peace when they pray, practice yoga, or go to a spa.

You have a lot more power to influence all these factors than you may think. Your genes do predispose you to certain injuries or diseases, but they don’t dictate your fate. That is determined by the way you live your life every day: your choices can actually alter the way your DNA is expressed. As Dr. Mehmet Oz says, “Genetics load the gun. Your lifestyle pulls the trigger.”

Google “Michelangelo’s David.” Pretty impressive abs, right? The superficial, global core muscles of his literally sculpted physique get all the glory – and for good reason. But if he were flesh and blood, he’d be thanking his deep local muscles too. These behind-the-scenes heroes constantly work to stabilize you and stave off injury. 

The author’s Core BASE Guide is all about activating both your local and global muscles through Breathing, Awareness, Stability, and Empowerment. These blinks will explore just a few of the many exercises that focus on building core stability, strength, and coordination. By mastering these techniques, you’ll perform and feel better in both your athletic endeavors and life in general – and build a six-pack while you’re at it! 

Ever tried whitewater kayaking? If so, you’ll know it’s impossible to navigate the rapids without your core; you’d immediately tip over. The third step of the BASE guide focuses on Stability. Research shows that most traumatic injuries occur just 0.04 seconds after a knee or ankle starts to twist. But through dynamic training, you can actually teach your body to respond quickly enough to sidestep any damage.

In short, it’s not the strongest that endure, but those who are most adaptable. Balance is key. It’s not something anyone is born with, but it can be cultivated by challenging your body to move in new ways.