There’s no better time than today to start training your core — the area around your trunk. When you have a strong core, it means the muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips, and abdomen are working together. Strong core muscles make it easier to do many physical activities — from swinging a golf club to getting a glass off a top shelf or bending to tie your shoes. Weak core muscles leave you vulnerable to poor posture, back pain, and muscle injuries.

Core exercises that use the trunk of your body without support can help, for example:

• Pushups — standard or with your knees touching the ground
• Squats — an excellent way to target legs and hips
• Crunches — “curling” your head and shoulders, while looking straight up.

To make these exercises more challenging, try them on a fitness ball.