Core Strength

Our stability comes from the center, which is our core strength. 

I was in a ballet/barre class not long ago, and the teacher hollered, “Focus on the core.” We’ve heard that continuously in the fitness world, and it’s true: Our center is where strength, stability, and balance come from. 

Immediately, my mind was drawn to Christ. Is my faith the core, center, and stability of my life? Do I fall out of balance if Christ isn’t center stage?

Body and spirit are essential and strengthen each other. I remember when my core strength was weak physically and spiritually. I began jogging out of necessity. I was struggling with overwhelm, defeat, and depression. Jogging, putting one foot in front of the other, started a healing journey for me. I thought I was just strengthening myself physically, but I realized I was also strengthening myself spiritually and mentally. I added morning scripture time to my routine as I learned to wake up earlier for jogs. As I communed with God, my jogs on the pavement in solitude became a lifeline. They became a prayer.

Slowly, I saw myself grow in core strength (it’s not just about abs) in many areas of my life. As I grew my core strength physically and spiritually, my marriage grew, I slowly grew in patience with my children (never perfectly), and I began pursuing things that mattered to me. This was not a quick fix overnight but slow—baby step growth. We build strength one step, one prayer, one class, or one early morning at a time.

Our core strength matters. If it’s weakened, we suffer from injury, balance issues, or weakness in our physical body. The same is true in our spiritual lives. It’s easy to allow busy schedules to consume our time. I’ve felt this in different seasons of motherhood. There’s just no time to care for myself physically and spiritually. But what am I teaching my children if I can’t find time for what’s most important? They will undoubtedly follow suit. 

We often see people who bend toward one extreme over the other. Fitness gurus everywhere idolize their physical health, while spiritually and theologically sound people disregard the physical element of core strength.

Christ must be our physical and spiritual core strength, which, in the end, indeed are one.

You can’t have one without the other because God made us body and spirit and said it was good. 

I love how St. Amma Sycletice says, “Our body is like armor, our soul like the warrior. Take care of both, and you will be ready for what comes.” Christopher West reiterates how God must be center stage of our lives: “When we fail to appreciate the profound unity of body and soul, we no longer see the human body in light of our creation in the image and likeness of God.”

Ballet/Barre class challenges my core and balance with intense holds and movements, creating stability in my body over time. Core strength practices help me grow spiritually, physically, and mentally. 

Is Christ center stage of your life…body, mind, and spirit? Do you feel out-of-balance or not centered in your life? Consider where your core strength is coming from. Is there a core?

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s spirit dwells in you?” … “For God’s temple is holy, and that temple you are.” 1 Corinthians 3:16