Mid-winter with piles of white stuff all around and I can feel muscle tone fading as accumulated weekly hiking hours dwindle. Running (on the indoor track and treadmill) is helping to maintain cardio fitness; a new weightlifting routine is building strength back in the legs; but what about the all-important core?

Your core is the area around the middle of body. It’s the space between your hips and ribs. It’s also your center of gravity. Having a strong core not only provides increased protection and bracing for your back, it allows for controlled movement. If you’ve ever side-hilled across a scree slope on a scramble, you’ve put your core to the ultimate test. Hikers with strong cores have greater stability in their travels.

So the big question is – how do I get a strong core? In the past, sit-ups were all the rage. Dozens and dozens of sit-ups. More recently, core stability is promoted with a variety of sit-up style exercises on balls. The core strengthening class I’m taking (with a registered physical therapist) focuses on engaging the pelvic floor muscles first and then adding in the lower abdominals; not a single sit-up in sight.

Instead, we spend a lot of time learning to feel and engage each muscle before advancing into exercises such as bridges (on your back) and planks (on your front). Correct posture, alignment, and breathing are critical. To me it is similar to practicing yoga, only the exercises (or positions) are different. When done correctly, the strength of the core felt while in a plank position is noticeable. This is only week two of a seven week core course, but I’m impressed with the program to date.

Share your top training tips for hiking on the forum

Core Points:
• Sign up for a core class in your area.
• If there are no group sessions, consider hiring a personal trainer to help you develop a core workout.
• Do the class or exercises with someone else (helps keep you going, plus you have someone to judge your form and let you know when you’ve lost it!).