When exercising your core it's important for all parts of
the body to be involved in order to maximize range of motion. Chiropractic care
can get there!
Core training is a no longer a new catchphrase on the
fitness landscape. The concept of core fitness, by now, has been promoted by
every Pilate’s school, yoga center, and
chain of fitness clubs around the world. Many doctors, including chiropractors,
physiatrists, orthopedists, and even cardiologists, emphasize the importance of
core training with their patients. Practically every physical therapist and
personal trainer has learned a variety of core exercises to use with their
clients. Core fitness has become an advertising
buzzword, helping to sell all kinds of health related products. The overall
result is raised awareness of the importance of core strength and the
opportunity to engage in a critically important form of healthy exercise.
What exactly is the "core" and what
are you training when you train it? Your core muscles are your four abdominal muscle groups -
the transversus abdominis, internal obliques, external obliques, and rectus
abdominis. Your back muscles are included in the core group as well,
specifically the erector spinae, longissimus thoracis, and multifidus. The
importance of the core muscles is their ability to provide a "center"
or focus for the physical work your body is doing. If your core is not fit
other muscles will have to take over, leading to the likelihood of strains,
sprains, and other injuries.
Who even knew we had a core? For many decades football
coaches, ballet instructors, and gymnastics coaches trained their athletes in
vigorous and strenuous techniques that all focused on core strength. High school
gym teachers knew about the core of the body as well. Remember squat thrusts,
jumping jacks, and push-ups? All those ancient exercises (that we used to groan
and moan about) train deep core muscles. We were doing core fitness before
there was "core fitness".
Why do we need core fitness today? In the current work world
most jobs involve sitting down. We stare at computer screens for eight hours a
day. Instead of doing physical work such as farming or building, we type on a
keyboard and talk on a cell phone. The long-term result is that muscles,
tendons, and ligaments have lost their integrity. Tight neck muscles, tight
lower back muscles, and weak abdominal muscles are the result, and these issues
lead to more serious problems such as chronic headaches, cardiovascular stress,
impaired digestion, and depression. We need to participate in fitness activities
that start building our body’s back up again… the right place to start is at the center by engaging in
core fitness.
The best thing about core fitness is that you don't need
any equipment. You could get a mat, a physio-ball, take a yoga class or even take
a Pilates class. Learn a few core exercises that work for you and your own body
and begin to do them several times a week. You'll soon begin to notice that you
feel better, in general and you’ll have more energy. You may
even sleep better and your mood could improve. All these results could be due
to just a few squats, a few planks, and a few push-ups daily. That's a pretty good deal if you ask me!
References:
1Kennedy
DJ, Noh MY: The role of core stabilization in lumbosacral radicuopathy. Phys
Med Rehabil Clin North Am 22(1):91-103, 2011
2Behm DG,
et al: The use of instability to train the core musculature. Appl Physiol Nutr
Metab 35(1):91-108, 2010
3Dunleavy
K: Pilates fitness continuum: post-rehabilitation and prevention Pilates
fitness programs. Rehab Manag 23(9):12-15, 2010
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