Why Core Strength Gets Harder to Maintain as Adults

There’s this moment in adulthood where the core just kind of… taps out. Well, it basically varies for everyone, but around midlife, it hits, sometimes earlier. No, really, just when it comes to your physical health, it’s normal for there to be changes, like your hair, hearing, eyesight, and so on, but yes, even your core takes a hit (the average person doesn’t even know about that). Like one day it’s strong without even trying, and the next it’s acting like sitting up straight is a full workout. You know how, for babies, when they start sitting up, it’s a challenge? Yeah, that’s actually a pretty decent comparison.

Nobody really warns you about that part. But yeah, once life becomes more about sitting and scrolling and stressing, the core’s, well, it’s not given up, but it’s definitely not strong like it should be. 

The Core is Always Working

Yeah, so it’s actually for the best to start right here; the core does way more than anyone thinks. It’s not just about abs showing or not (as much as people like to think about). No, instead,  it’s supporting literally every move the body makes. Meaning things like standing up, reaching for a top shelf snack, laughing too hard, carrying grocery bags that are always heavier than expected, all of it. Again, compare it to a baby who’s just starting to sit up, great example there. 

Now, you get the idea here, and as you can probably see for yourself, your core is always working in the background, so it’s not like it “screams” for attention until it’s, well, but the core kind of struggles. It needs movement to stay strong, but adult life’s like, sure, sitting counts as activity now. And the core just quietly loses motivation.

Office Chairs aren’t Doing Anyone Favors

Well, officer chairs, gamer chairs, or simplicity’s sake, “desk chairs”. Okay, so what gives? Well, sitting is fine. Sitting is comfy. Sitting is literally a hobby at this point. But the whole hunching-over-a-laptop situation? Yeah, that doesn’t help the core one bit. Once the shoulders fold forward and the spine curves, the core basically checks out; it’s not really being used here (which is also why it’s always suggested to sit up straight and have good posture). 

So when you’re slouching, your back is doing most of the work, especially the lower back, which is exactly why you deal with so much back pain when slouching at a computer desk for more than an hour (sometimes less than that, too). 

Life Just Happens

Well, to get more specific here, it’s life events, it’s just those things (be it uncommon or not) that happen. Yes, old age is one of them, and the habits (or lack thereof) are also a cause. So, there’s the common events like pregnancy, weight changes, stress, and eating habits, all that stuff affect the core too. Those abdominal muscles can literally separate, which most people don’t even know is a thing (especially when it comes to pregnancy, and it can take a very long time to come back together for some people. 

And yeah, sure, sometimes exercise helps. Sometimes it doesn’t. And that’s completely normal. The core isn’t always like, sure, we can bounce right back. Going back to the pregnancy bit earlier, some moms get a tummy tuck, the same for those with a giant weight loss. Others try cool sculpting, creams, wraps, you name it. It’s up to you if you want to try extra methods in tightening things up outside of exercise (some things do help, like postpartum belts after giving birth). 

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Samantha

Samantha hails from Virginia and is a proud wife to a retired Deputy Sheriff and current plumber. Homeschooling boy mama to two. We homestead and love our pets! A veteran product reviewer; Samantha has been reviewing products for 12 years and offers high quality product reviews with original photography.