• The key to great strength and flexibility starts with the core.staying fit image by Leticia Wilson from Fotolia.com
  
  Core strengthening exercises are one of the most important throughout a person's life. The types of exercises categorized as core strengthening concentrate on the abdominal region and the trunk. These kinds of exercises are important for posture, as well as maintaining coordination and flexibility. Core exercises are useful for everyone who cares about personal fitness, not just athletes.
  
  

Resources

• There are many places to learn about core strengthening. Among them are: magazines and Web sites devoted to bodybuilding, cross-training, athlete training and health.
  
  With these types of resources, it is important that you cross-check information before taking it as fact. Many Web sites offer core workouts that could damage the spine or not take into consideration your current fitness level or health problems. The best way to verify the information is to check the sources of the article and the qualifications of the author. Always consult a physician before you begin any workout, even one that is found on a reputable Web site.
  
  

Local Resources

• Beyond digital and paper mediums, there are resources within your own community that can offer help and insight into core strengthening. Personal training, physicians, Zumba instructors, kettlebell instructors and yoga studios all offer competent and useful information regarding core workouts.
  
  Locally, you'll have the advantage of face-to-face encounters and practical applications of areas that might be unclear from Web articles or magazines. Often, these types of resources will incorporate your limitations and desires when they help you with a core strengthening program.
  
  

Tools

• Core strengthening should be the part of any balanced workout routine. Beyond core stabilization and the desire for a strong abdominal region, well-articulated core programs offer greater strength and conditioning gains that might otherwise evade most athletes and gym-goers.
  
  There are some simple tools that are effective and can be done either in the privacy of your own home or at the gym. Yoga, kettlebells, crunches, sit-ups, plank, stability ball crunches and leg lifts (with an exercise/stability ball for added resistance) can all effectively target your core.
  
  When performing exercises that target the trunk and abdominal region, remember that form is what is important. Jerking and twisting motions can cause strains and tears that will not only interrupt your workout regiment, but could cause lasting damage.