I have a teaching degree, a master's degree and years of experience.  However, I am continuously reminded that all that background does nothing for anyone unless it translates into movement.  I can teach you how to lift weights, I can understand your metabolism and I have worked with thousands of people.  But if you can't move well, none of that matters.  

Training your body to build itself on a foundation of contraction isn't easy but it is innate.  For anyone who has ever watched a baby learn to stand, you can easily observe that our bodies were made to move through a big range of motion and in all directions.  At some point along the way, most of us develop imbalances and poor mechanics.

I started my career when personal training meant Nautilus equipment, a few dusty dumbbells, and dance aerobics.  What I've learned is that movement is the primary thing we need to train.  We need to move better, from a stable base, using our muscle, not selectively pushing weight up a stack.  In fact, the TRX brand puts it this way, "Make your body your machine."  Once you find your movements, there's no stopping your muscle.  

What's the big deal about being stable? Think of stability as the infrastructure in a skyscraper.  You don't see them, feel them or realize they are there, unless they're removed or destroyed.  Your stabilizers are deeply connected to your skeleton; they are the first responders to any movement, or in the case of the multifidus, just at the thought of moving.  Stabilizers are so crucial to good movement that strength, endurance, speed and power cannot improve without them.  

So, let's get cracking on creating a solid start: Breath deeply and when you exhale, on purpose, push your abs forward.  At the same time, pull the abs toward your spine.  On each exhale, consciously use your belly to breath.  When you're exercising, initiate all movement with a deep breath, creating a wall of resistance in your trunk that keeps the middle of your body from falling apart.  Each time you think about moving, brace your core and notice the difference in your ability to move.  If nothing else, you're breathing well, and that's always a good place to start.