A strong core helps prevent lower-back pain, greatly improves mobility and strength in the hip joints, thigh muscles and glutes. Core strength improves people's awareness of performing everyday movements such as lifting a box, bending over gardening, or sitting at a desk — maintaining a straight spine becomes a subconscious reflex over time. A strong core will improve your posture, making you taller and feel more confident.

Ideal posture places the least amount of compression on the back as possible, resulting in minimum wear and tear on the spine. Strengthening the core corrects bad posture by distributing weight evenly throughout the body. To ensure neutral hips, pull the belly button up towards the ribs — imagine lifting the belly button and ribs towards one another. That helps achieve tall posture.

We all need to breathe and we breathe better with a strong core. Breath training and core strength training go hand-in-hand. Building stronger breathing muscles — such as the diaphragm and intercostals — translates into better core strength, and at the same time, a stronger core creates a way for easier breathing. Strengthening the core and obtaining neutral hips will hold your body better and make it easier to breathe because your organs and diaphragm will sit in the proper position.

In order to have a healthy core that provides a tight mid section, develop your innermost abs first through your breath. The respiratory diaphragm lives inside the lower rib cage. Using your breath to stretch this muscle completely causes all deep muscles in your core to engage. Once you learn how to train the core through breathing, you can develop stronger abs anytime and anywhere. Everything good happens from the inside out.