Core, What Is It Good For?

Absolutely, everything.

The human body's core is an essential part of our anatomy that provides stability, balance, and strength for almost all our movements. To perform well at virtually any sport, you need a strong core. It’s in the core that forces are transferred from the legs to the upper body. Since the momentum passes through the core you will lose strength and power if you don’t have a strong core.

Let's understand the human body's core and how to strengthen it.

What is the Core?

Why Bother About the Core?

How to Strengthen Core Muscles?

Rotational Exercises

Building Core Exercises Into Your Workout Routine

What is the Core?

The human body's core is composed of several muscles and structures that work together to provide stability, balance, and strength. It is more than your abs. In fact, the abdominal muscles are just one of the major muscle groups that constitute the core; it also includes deep muscles in your pelvis, hips and back; smaller stabilizing muscles along your spine; and the diaphragm. The core stretches from the pelvis all the way up to the neck and it surrounds the trunk — the central part of your body that houses most of the internal organs.

Credit: www.health.harvard.edu

The core muscles include:

Rectus abdominis: This is the large muscle that runs vertically down the front of the abdomen, often referred to as the "six-pack" muscle.
Transverse abdominis: This muscle lies deep within the abdomen and provides support for the internal organs.
Internal and external obliques: These are the muscles on either side of the rectus abdominis that help with twisting and bending movements.
Multifidus: This is a group of small muscles that run along the spine and help with stability and movement.
Erector spinae: These are the muscles that run along the length of the spine and help with posture and movement.
Diaphragm: This is a thin muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen and plays a critical role in breathing.
Pelvic floor muscles: These are a group of muscles that support the organs of the pelvis and help with bowel and bladder control.

Together, these muscles form a strong, stable core that provides support for the body during movement and helps protect the spine and internal organs from injury.

Why Bother About the Core?

The core is a critical part of the body's musculature, and it plays an essential role in overall health and fitness. Regular exercise and strengthening of the core muscles are important for maintaining a strong, healthy body. Here are some key reasons why the core is important:

Posture and balance: The core muscles work together to maintain good posture and balance. Strong core muscles help keep the body aligned and stable, reducing the risk of falls and injuries.
Protection of internal organs: The core muscles act as a protective shield for our internal organs, helping to prevent damage from impact or injury.
Athletic performance: Athletes and fitness enthusiasts rely on a strong core to improve their performance in sports and other physical activities. A strong core enhances power, endurance, and agility.
Back health: A weak core can lead to poor posture and back pain. Strengthening the core muscles can help reduce the risk of back injuries and alleviate existing back pain.
Overall fitness: A strong core is essential for overall fitness and well-being. It helps improve mobility, flexibility, and overall physical function.

The core muscles act as a link between the upper and lower body, helping to transfer force and energy between the two. When you move or perform physical activity, your core muscles contract to stabilize your spine and pelvis, allowing other muscles in the body to generate movement and power. For example, when you perform a squat or deadlift, your core muscles engage to stabilize your spine and pelvis, allowing your leg muscles to generate force and lift the weight.

The core muscles also work with other muscles to provide balance and coordination during movement. For example, when you walk or run, your core muscles engage to maintain a stable and upright posture, allowing your leg muscles to generate forward movement. In addition to supporting movement and stability, the core muscles also play an important role in protecting the spine and supporting overall posture. Weak core muscles can contribute to poor posture, back pain, and other musculoskeletal issues.

Core work supports the spine, especially the thoracic and the lumbar regions. Low back pain often originates in the lumbar area, which extends from the bottom of your rib cage to your sacrum (the triangular bone found between your hip bones) and includes the five lowest mobile vertebrae.

How to Strengthen Core Muscles?

Strengthening the core muscles can improve posture, balance, athletic performance, and overall health. Here are some ways to strengthen your core:

Plank exercises: Plank exercises are a great way to strengthen the entire core, including the rectus abdominis, transverse abdominis, and obliques. Start by holding a plank position for 10-20 seconds and gradually increase the time as you get stronger.
Crunches and sit-ups: These exercises target the rectus abdominis muscles and can be done with or without equipment. To avoid straining your neck, keep your chin lifted slightly and focus on lifting your shoulders off the ground.
Yoga and Pilates: These forms of exercise focus on the core muscles and can improve flexibility, strength, and balance. Look for classes or online videos that specifically target the core.
Medicine ball exercises: Using a medicine ball for exercises like Russian twists, ball slams, and overhead throws can challenge the core muscles and improve strength and power.
Functional exercises: Activities like squats, lunges, and deadlifts engage the core muscles and improve overall strength and stability.

Rotational Exercises

A critical component for core routines is rotation exercises. Rotational exercises are exercises that involve twisting or rotating movements around the spine or hips. These exercises focus on the oblique muscles, which connect the lower rib cage to the pelvis on each side of the body, that rotate and flex the trunk and spine.

Mr. Ross and Mr. Catania, physical therapists at ChristianaCare Rehabilitation Services in Delaware, USA, designed a set of seven core rotation exercises. They found that core exercises incorporating rotation strengthen the obliques better than more traditional exercises like sit-ups and planks. Rotation exercises also strengthen the multifidi (thin muscles consisting of a number of fleshy and tendinous fasciculi that fill up the groove on either side of the spinous processes of the vertebrae, from the sacrum to the axis), which is important because strength in these muscles protects against back injury. When performing rotational exercises, it's important to use proper form and avoid jerky or uncontrolled movements that could strain the back or neck.

Building Core Exercises Into Your Workout Routine

You don't need to be sporting six-pack abs or be ready for an advanced Pilates class to add core work to your routine. Gentle core exercises can get you started and offer real benefits.

Core work doesn't have to take a lot of time, either. Slipping in exercises and stretches during the day or adding a few core exercises to your usual routine takes just a few minutes.

Start slowly, and gradually challenge yourself. Aim to do a core workout two to three times a week. Start with basic exercises. When you can do a full set of reps easily, move on to a slightly more advanced set of exercises. Changing exercise routines can also help prevent boredom and keep you motivated.
Sprinkle in core work throughout your day. Look for opportunities to do short bursts of exercises or stretches a few times a day. You can do this daily, or start slowly with just a few days a week — say, every Monday and Thursday — then gradually incorporate core exercises into additional days.
Tack core work on to strength sessions. When you do your twice-weekly strength training sessions, add two extra core exercises to your regimen. When you have time or when it becomes easy to do the core exercises, step it up again by beginning a separate core workout or sprinkling bursts of core work throughout your day.

Remember to start slowly and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your core exercises over time. Core work falls under strength training and enhancing balance. Advanced core exercises work on more than just core muscles; for example, chair stands strengthen muscles throughout your legs, while planks work some arm and back muscles as well as abdominal muscles.

Whether you do them standing up, sitting down, or lying on the floor, these exercises work all your core muscles — improving your posture and building stronger bones as you strengthen your abs, back, sides, pelvis and buttocks.

The key? Strengthening your core muscles. It’s one of the best ways to ensure you stay active. That’s because your core muscles are critical for nearly every move you make, from bending and reaching to twisting and standing. If you have any questions on incorporating core exercises into your workout schedule, Contact Me. I also love to hear any feedback you may have on this post through comments below.