People are obsessed with training the abs for the singular reason of having a visually pleasing waistline. The fact of the matter is that training abs through multiple hundred crunches will not reduce the waist. And so if training is not a harbinger of hope to meet the goal of inch loss, then why train abs at all? The answer lies in understanding the role of abdominals in your life.
Your abdominals wrap around your physique, forming a cylinder like structure between your upper and lower body. Your rib cage and pelvis (hip bone) are linked by 4 muscles that comprise the abdominal group. This quartet of muscles work as a unit doing multiple tasks ranging from supporting the backbone, allowing you to bend forward, sideways and also rotate. Acting together these muscles form a firm wall that protect the viscera (read internal organs). These muscles help maintain erect posture and have a role to play in exhalation. Actions like sneezing, coughing, micturition (urination) & defecation, lifting objects and childbirth will call upon this muscle group to increase intra-abdominal pressure (force generated within the abdominal cavity). Therefore, their role in daily activities is unmistakably manifest.

The cliché – you are only as strong as your weakest link – is often used in the context of teams, but when it comes to your body, it has never been truer. Basic tasks can become increasingly difficult if these muscles are allowed to weaken. This weak link can dramatically influence an otherwise strong body. And has the potential to slow you down.

Poor abdominal strength is linked to chronic back pain because it forces the back muscles (especially in the lower back/lumbar) to work harder in a bid to compensate. What’s more, the time spent in sitting is also hard on the back. The normal alignment of the spine can get disturbed due to unintentional physical trauma like sitting at a keyboard with head turned at an angle for hours each day. Since alignment of the spine is dependent on muscular balance, training the abs (and back) is of paramount importance.

The body’s delicately balanced chemistry can be upset by smoking, alcohol, processed foods and pollution. It is therefore important to understand that what goes into the body by way of nutrition plays a key role in preventing muscle cramps (painful involuntary contraction of muscle). Muscle cramps can be bothersome and sometimes enervating. Minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium are closely involved in proper muscle function. So adequate supplementation is a must.

It behooves you to turn your weak links to strong points. A few proactive ways include practicing better posture by taking note of how you are sitting when you are at work. Even lounging on the couch or while sitting down to eat will need you to stop slouching. Exercises that build a strong back and strong abdominals can make a world of a difference.
You are truly strong when you improve your weak link. You will then have the kind of performance that will outlast youth.