Rebuilding Strength from the Core

A back-to-basics approach for getting strong again

Last year a debilitating illness left me laid up for months. After losing 20 pounds in a short amount of time, my flesh looked like it was hanging from my bones. My muscles had melted away, and I had no aerobic endurance.

As soon as I had recovered from my illness and was cleared by my doctors to begin working out again, I decided to hire a personal trainer. I wanted an expert to guide me on the safest, most effective ways to regain strength, balance, and body tone. The last thing I wanted was to injure myself trying to get healthy.

In my first session with Julia, she evaluated my balance, strength, coordination, and overall fitness. I felt semi-encouraged that my slack arms and legs had more muscle memory than I realized. Before getting sick, I had been healthy and relatively fit from running, biking, and swimming, and years earlier I had run three marathons. Though my long-distance running days were far in the rearview mirror, I felt optimistic about rebuilding to my previous levels. I was eager to have Julia show me how to lift free weights, use the circuit machines, and increase my cardio workouts. I’d be crushing the Couch-to-5K app in no time.

Julia had a different plan in mind.

“We’re going to focus on rebuilding your core,” she said. According to her, all mobility and fitness starts with a good, strong mid-section. “If you’re willing to take the slow and steady route of building your core, you’ll set a good foundation for your overall strength and then be ready to add more challenging activities, like running, lifting, and fitness classes.”

I saw the wisdom in her approach, but subconsciously I had hoped I could speed-dial my way to strength. Building my core sounded slow and tedious. In my mind, I was still young-ish and strong.

The reality of every one of my 60 years set in. I had become one of the old ladies in the gym, intently focused on not losing my balance—never mind the strain of lifting 10-pound weights. I wanted a faster path to muscles. But since I had signed up with Julia to get fit safely for a lifetime, not just for a finish line, I agreed to follow her plan to start with my core and build from there.

Back to Basics

In one of my training sessions with Julia, she let me record her as she guided me through some of the core exercises she had me doing. (I debated whether to include this video because it makes me cringe to see just how back-to-basics my workouts are. In the name of courageous authenticity, I’m posting it anyway. Maybe it’ll be just the encouragement someone needs to start working on their core too.)

My workout always begins with basic core-strengthening reps—planks, bridges, marches, and seat rotations. Julia prods me constantly to focus on the quality of my form versus the quantity of reps. It’s a slow, methodical approach to getting strong.

After warming up my core, we move into specific upper-body, mid-body, and lower-body exercises using resistance bands, pulley weights, kettlebells, and hand weights. I do a lot of push-ups, steps, and squats—reps that help improve my balance as I strengthen my muscles.

These exercises all seemed so simple at first. To be honest, I wasn’t confident they would do much to make me feel stronger or look more toned. But after following Julia’s plan faithfully for about three months, I noticed my clothes fit better. When I took my bike out for the first time this spring, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to manage the hill climbs in my area. I was pleasantly surprised to discover I could do it without my thighs feeling on fire. 

Building my core muscles has been quiet, unglamorous work, but Julia was right—as I strengthen my core, I’m stronger overall, and week by week, she’s increasing my weights and giving me bigger challenges.

While a six-pack might still be a distant dream and marathons are not on my horizon, embarking on this fitness journey has been transformative. Though often humbling and sometimes discouraging, building a strong foundation has underscored the importance of core strength—not just physically, but mentally and spiritually as well. This experience has reminded me that every great endeavor begins with a solid base, and from here, the possibilities for growth are endless.