The Importance of a Strong "Core"
The Importance of a Strong “Core”
You’ve probably heard this term before, but what are we talking about when we say, “engage your core.” Your “core” is more than just your abs; it’s made up of all the muscles of your torso. It’s involved in everything that we do; bending over, walking, standing, playing sports, rolling over in bed, anything that involves movement. In today’s world getting a strong core and maintaining a strong core is harder than ever as we spend much more time throughout the day sitting. This can cause your core to get weak as most of us do not use our core muscles while sitting. So, what’s the point of having a strong core, and how do you strengthen our core?
1. Balance and Stability
As we get older our balance tends to worsen and we require more reliance on our hands and arms to maintain our balance. A strong core allows us to maintain control with various tasks and as such can help us avoid falls in different situations.
2. Housework, To-do’s, Gardening
Bending, lifting, twisting, carrying, reaching overhead, and many other household tasks like sweeping and mopping require stability through the core. Either the motion begins in the core, like with bending and twisting, or it passes through the core, like sweeping and mopping. If you notice pain with any of these tasks it could be that your core could need some work.
3. Walking and Moving Around
Maintaining a strong core not only allows with the bending and lifting, but also standing and walking activities. Many of our patients suffer from only being able to stand for a few minutes at a time before they need to sit or change position. This often occurs due to weak core muscles being unable to maintain the position of the pelvis and the lumbar spine.
4. Improve Low Back Pain
As we’ve already mentioned in the previous sections, improving core strength can help improve that chronic low back pain you may be dealing with. Low back pain is one of the most common problems in our society today and our prolonged hours of sitting at work may be one of the causes. When we sit it can put substantial stress on the low back, especially if we’re not engaging our core muscles like we tend to do when we sit in a recliner, couch, office chair, etc. A strong core can reduce or even eliminate your low back pain.
5. Good Posture Makes You Look Great and Feel Better
A strong core isn’t just for function, if you’re looking for a better look and shape of your body the core is a great place to start. A strong core keeps your midsection strong and trim, but also can allow you to stand up straighter and feel better about yourself. Studies have shown that those who stand up straight not only give off confident body language, but they also tend to make more money throughout their lives.
6. How do I strengthen my core?
Activating your core muscles is just as easy as “sucking in your belly.” Granted, sometimes this is easier said than done, but this is one way of developing awareness of your core muscles. The good news here is that crunches are not a part of this process, so don’t worry about endless hours of countless crunches trying to get a strong core. Other exercises like planks, dead bugs, bridges, etc. are great ways of strengthening your core, but training may be required to advance core strength and train you how to activate it properly. With all this in mind, pulling your belly button in and sucking in that tummy is a great way to start your journey of improving your core strength.