Six-pack path to total fitness

(The Australian) - 'CORE strength" is the fitness industry's latest catchphrase.

Hollywood stars Gwyneth Paltrow, Brad Pitt and Madonna credit core strength for their sleek physiques.

But are fitness programs that develop core strength – such as yoga and pilates – effective in the long-term, or will core strength exercises simply become another trendy fitness fad that disappears after the excitement has worn off?

The "core" refers to four key muscle groups within the abdomen.

These muscles work together to support and stabilise the spine.

An inactive lifestyle can lead to a lack of core strength, causing a number of musculoskeletal problems.

In today's more sedentary culture, children are not climbing trees or fully developing their balancing skills in play.

Adults also spend more time sitting at a desk or in a car – two activities that rarely use the abdominal muscles and therefore place significantly more strain on other muscles to work as stabilisers.

Back pain is one of the first signs that the abdominal muscles are weak.

Clinical studies from the University of Queensland indicate that when a person experiences lower back pain, his or her core, or deep postural muscles, react by switching off and shrinking by 50 per cent. This leaves the back unprotected and at greater risk of injury.

Specific exercises to retrain these core muscles can increase mobility and reduce back pain.

In an attempt to determine how muscles lose their strength, University of Queensland physiotherapy researcher Alison Grimaldi is studying how the weightless environment of space affects astronauts' fitness.

The university's research into the role of core strength in the treatment and prevention of back pain is so highly regarded that the European Space Agency has asked for its assistance in managing the back pain experienced by astronauts when they return to earth.

Read more...