Core Strength. It is one of the basic fundamentals of all human activity. It helps in all forms of everyday life including walking, bending, and lifting. It affects posture, it affects both upper and lower body strength. It is important and imperative, yet it is lacking in so many people.[1]

The core itself makes up the entire trunk of the body. Many are under the impression that ‘core’ is interchangeable with abdominals. In reality the core includes the abdominal muscles in the front, oblique muscles along the sides, and muscles in the low back. That knowledge of what exactly makes up the core can shed some light onto its importance for posture and stability.

The big thing is how to tell that you have a weak core. There are several important warning signs. They include: low back pain, poor posture, poor balance, issues with standing for long periods of time, overall body weakness, and more. The good thing is that there are many simple yet effective ways to strengthen your core. Many of these don’t even need any sort of equipment!

Movements such as planks, anti-rotational presses, low back stretches, and even deep breathing can work to improve core strength. Stay tuned for a future blog post that will explain several specific exercises to strengthen the core. Right now though it’s all about why you need core strength, what makes up the core, and what you can expect to feel when you develop that newfound core strength.

Core strengthening can help improve posture. It can relieve low back pain. It can improve overall muscle endurance. It can make bending and lifting in everyday life activities easier. Core strengthening does not mean countless crunches. It is more in the way of isometric movements, this means holding a particular muscle under tension without movement ie: planks.

If you have any questions about core strength please send us an email, give us a call, or drop by. We’d love to help in any way we can!

[1] Understanding and Improving Core Strength – Harvard Medical School

by Christopher Setterlund