Lopsided Loads Build Your Core

Parents often carry their children on one hip, and many of us have probably done it ourselves. It's easy to carry grocery bags or our purses on just one side. I have a shoulder bag and it always somehow seems to end up on my left hip, meaning my right shoulder is getting most of the workout. It turns out that a lopsided load makes our core muscles subtly adapt and strengthen to the asymmetry, without the necessity of doing those infamous crunches! It's a great way to build muscles without spending any extra time. However, if you get too habitual, using the same side all the time, the muscle building is also lopsided. It's easy to increase the value by getting into the habit of moving the load around.

Suggestion from Mariah Kaye, Senior Fitness Specialist, offering more fitness choices through MoveAnyWayFitness.com.