Your core is a group of muscles that sit in your torso. They stabilise and control the pelvis and spine. When most people think of their core, they envision a chiseled 6-8 pack. Unfortunately, the core goes a lot deeper than that 6 (or 8) pack and it is important to focus on all core muscles when strengthening them, not just the ones that look good.
Your core is made up by the pelvic floor muscles, the diaphragm, Transverse Abdominis (deep core muscles), Multifidis (deep spinal muscle), the External and Internal Obliques (twisting muscles) and the Rectus Abdominis (6 pack muscle!).
The core is responsible for taking the pressure off your spine and promoting ease of motion. In simple tasks such as standing up from a chair or getting out of bed, your core should engage to allow for an equal dispersion of forces throughout your body.
For athletes, a strong core promotes efficiency, leading to better performance, increased strength and power and less likelihood of injury.
Overall, having a strong core makes any movement easier, can prevent a lot of overuse injuries and help make recovery from an acute injury easier.
Benefits of a strong core
Think of your core as the central link in the chain between your upper and lower body. It is called upon countless times throughout the day. Every step you take requires core activation. If your core is strong, everyday tasks become easier and more efficient.
Improving strength through your core and pelvis can have positive effects on pain levels and functionality. As we age, our spine undergoes degenerative changes due to the structures of the bone and cartilage. Having strong postural muscles can help manage and alleviate symptoms associated with this. A strong core also improves your posture and allows your spinal curves to sit within normal ranges, leading to less force and stress going through the spinal structures.
Most importantly, your core helps stabilise your body, allowing you to move in any direction with balance and ease. The likelihood of falls is decreased as you have more ability to hold yourself upright and maintain balance.
How do I strengthen my core?
Simple answer, by doing regular exercises that target all muscles of your core. In saying that, it is important to not just focus on the core muscles, but all the muscles surrounding as well, such as the hip and back muscles.
If you are someone who attends a gym or sees a personal trainer, adding in 2-3 core exercises per session will help improve your core strength.
If you are someone who has never trained their core before but wants to do a core regime at home or at a park, you have come to the right place. Like starting any exercise regime, you want to work out your boundaries, so you do not push yourself too hard and end up sore!
Here is a simple exercise regime that can start you off on your journey to achieving a solidified core:
Plank – 30 seconds on 1-minute rest x 5 sets
Support your body on your forearms and toes while holding your body in a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles. If you find this position too hard, you can try it with you knees on the ground.
Deadbug – 10 repetition x 5 sets
Lie on your back with your arms extended straight up towards the ceiling and your legs raised with your knees bent at 90 degrees. Before you begin moving limbs, make sure your lower back is flat against the surface. Proceed to straighten your right leg, then bring it back, then alternate to your left leg. If moving just your legs becomes too easy, you can lower your right arm and left leg at the same time and then do the same with the opposite limbs.
Boat – 30 seconds on 1-minute rest x 5 sets
Sit on the floor with bent knees. Lean back slightly, keeping your back straight and hold your arms out in front of you as you raise your feet off the ground with your legs together.
Psoas is a strong and powerful muscle, yet often overlooked, and tt can be responsible for a host of ailments.
The Psoas muscle originates from the T12 and Lumbar spinal segments, where it blends in with fibers of the diaphragm (your primary breathing ...
Pain is an unpleasant, subjective experience which is associated with actual or potential tissue damage. Physiologically, pain is critical for survival, but when pain starts to affect our quality of life, we ask, “how do I get rid of this feeling?”. W...
Have you ever wondered why your osteopath asks you to walk back and forth while carefully observing your every step? We promise it’s not just for entertainment purposes or to make you feel self-conscious. Gait analysis is...
As we all know, our lives right now are quite stressful as we try to deal with the containment of COVID-19. Things are happening now that have never happened in some people’s lifetimes which can be scary and confronting. It’s normal to be anxious abou...
In recent years, cardiovascular diseases have become a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Among the numerous factors contributing to these conditions, LDL cholesterol has gained significant attention. LDL, or ...
Pain has been a huge topic of discussion for a long time now. Nearly everyone feels it, and it varies in character and severity depending on what part of the body is implicated. None of us like being in pain, so the first thing we do is to look for a solu...
There is an enormous amount of interest in anti-inflammation diets out there and rightfully so. Chronic inflammation is very common and is tied to a large list of serious illnesses such as diabetes, cancers, auto-immune con...
Breathing is one of the most basic and fundamental functions of the human body, yet, a lot of us seem to do it all wrong. We don’t seem to worry about our breathing at all, until our breathing becomes abnormal. What we don’t understand is how importan...
Pain has been a huge topic for discussion for a long time now. Nearly everyone feels it (I say ‘nearly’ because there is actually a very small minority of people with a special condition that does not allow them to feel pain), and it varies in charact...
Share this news article online