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Core Training - Benefits and Tips to Get You Started

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The Best Way to Train

With all the hype about core training what is it and why is everyone so focused on it?

The fitness industry is always humming with fancy buzz words. One of the latest is "core training" or "core conditioning". This concept was developed by strength coaches over the last decade and has finally made its way into fitness jargon. As the name implies, your core is the musculature that surrounds the center of your body. Draw a line circumferentially around your body starting at your belly button, and most of the muscles bordering that line are your core muscles.

The core is a crucial group of muscles, not only for athletics, but for typical daily activities as well. Think about it. Your heavy rib cage, arms and head are attached to your hips and legs by a flexible dowel that's two inches thick (your vertebrae), yet you are able to move about quite effectively without wobbling around like a Slinky.

The core acts to produce force (ie. lifting), it stabilizes the body to permit other musculature to produce force (ie. during running), and it's also called upon to transfer energy (ie. during jumping).

A well-developed core region will act as a solid block on which the thorax (the chest cavity containing those important organs) sits. If you've ever seen an Olympic Sprinter notice how stable the torso is while their arms and legs are turning over in a blaze of speed. If the body happened to be unstable, wobbling or swaying side-to-side they wouldn't be able to move as quickly because the arms and legs wouldn't have that stable base to work from.

Benefits of Core Training

Most people have a very weak core, and as a result, chronic posture problems. Over time, this can lead to damaged spinal ligaments or intervertebral discs.

Helps to prevent injuries.
A strong, stable core can help to prevent injuries because with stronger muscles supporting the spine, pelvis, and shoulder joints it can better handle the forces of rotation and compression that lead to back and joint injuries.

The body's joints are like links in a chain and are surrounded and supported by muscles and tendons. If any of these supporting structures are weak others are called upon to compensate for this weakness. Because they were not designed for this purpose they can become injured over time by the repetitive wear and tear.

For example, if I was hitting a golf ball and my low back was weak and inflexible I would probably overcompensate by muscling through the shot with my shoulders. Because the shoulder joint is not designed for such a forceful swing, over time I may injure the muscles, tendons, and /or ligaments supporting the shoulder joint.

Helps to improve bowel function and reduces incontinence.
Once again the pelvic floor muscles are part of the core. These muscles help to eliminate waste products from our bodies through contractions. If these muscles are weak or deconditioned they cannot contract properly which may lead to incontinence or improper bowel functioning.

Reduces risk for low-back pain and injury.
Core exercises are designed to stretch and strengthen the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that support and protect the spine.

Most low back pain is caused by bad posture, excessive body weight, physical inactivity, and faulty body mechanics. All the gravitational forces from sitting, walking, running impact the low-back area and if it is not supported properly the spine will suffer.

Improves posture making the stomach look flatter.
The protruding "pooch" people seem to obtain around middle age is usually caused by weak abdominal muscles, specifically the transverse abdominal muscles that are located deeply in the lower abdomen. The weakness in these abdominal muscles also contributes to the "slouched" posture and "hunchback" look.

Without strong abdominal muscles to support the spine and to compress or hold in the abdominal contents your posture will falter along with the protrusion of the lower abdomen.

The Best ways to Train the Core

Pilates exercises are well known to work the "core" or strengthen the abdominal muscles for a flatter stomach and a long, lean look.

Pilates works from the inside out strengthening the deeper transverse abdominal muscles, those that support and protect the spine and pelvis. In essence, those muscles assist with the contractions for our bowel and urinary functioning.

What most people don't realize is that Pilates is a very rehabilitative form of exercise that simultaneously stretches the tight muscles while strengthening the weak ones. This way of exercising does, in effect, help to realign the spine, pelvis, and shoulder areas.

Pilates works to stabilize the core or torso while simultaneously mobilizing the joints to move the extremities of the arms and legs more efficiently and without stress and strain.

Exercise Ball for Instability. The Swiss Ball or Resistaball as it has become known is also a great way to train the core. Studies have shown that just 2 days per week on the ball has been shown to improve balance in older adults.

The exercise ball is a great core workout because of the instability of having to stabilize or center your gravity while moving on or with the ball. The core is constantly working to keep you from rolling off the top or sides of the ball while you are exercising.

MBT Shoes.
While the unique multi-layered construction of MBT transforms the ground into a soft and uneven surface, the muscles of the lower extremities are stimulated. This increases activity strengthens the core muscles of the body. MBT tightens and tones the feet and ankles, calves, hamstrings, upper and inner thigh, buttocks, stomach and back. You will become stronger and more resilient just by wearing MBT in your everyday activities.

Most of us walk with our bodies behind our center of gravity. This constant state of imbalance weakens the hamstrings, buttocks, inner an outer thigh, and abdominal muscles.

MBT lifts and aligns your body on its center of gravity, thus forcing you to use these weakened muscles. As the body lengthens and tightens with every step, circulation improves, and strength is regained.