Core Muscles and Core Strength

Strengthening your 'core muscles' on a regular basis is one of the most important things you can do. These muscles include everything from your chest to your pelvis, with the abdominal muscles and lower-back muscles being the most important. Good 'core strength' is vitally important for complete fitness!

Almost every movement you make involves the core muscles to some degree; keeping them in good shape is the best way to prevent serious injuries and the dreaded low-back pain so many people experience as they age. It's no wonder that there are several new core strength training products focused on helping people develop 'real' total-body strength and fitness.

(Note: Although definitely not a "new" method, Pilates exercise is one of the most effective and proven ways to develop your core strength and tone your entire body at the same time!)

How to Get Stronger Core Muscles

There is much more to properly strengthening the core muscles than just doing a few sets of crunches and back-extensions every now and then. In fact, most of the 'typical' ab and lower-back exercises really aren't that effective at increasing core strength or preventing injury. This is one reason so many bodybuilders experience ab and low-back problems when they get older.

You should learn how to incorporate 'functional' strength training into your workouts. Functional training is simply a way to mimic real-life movements that involve your core muscles. This will strengthen your body in a way that improves performance and decreases the chance of injury.

Here's a great article on the subject of functional core training:

From eDiets.com:

Core Muscles: Beyond the crunch

Everyone is familiar with the crunch, the exercise many of us do to define our abs. Doing crunches works your rectus abdominis, the muscles that can give you a so-called six-pack.

But these muscles are superficial, meaning they sit on top of other, deeper muscles. To strengthen your abdominals functionally - meaning in the same way you use them during everyday life and in sports - you need to look beyond the crunch, to your core.

The phrase "core training" refers to exercising the muscles between your shoulders and hips. Your deepest core muscles are your transverse abdominis and iliopsoas (which also is known as the pelvic muscles group). When these muscles are strong and well- trained, the rest of your muscles function better. In daily life, we use the core muscles more frequently than the rectus abdominis, such as when carrying heavy packages or picking up a baby.

Think of the transverse abdominis as a weight belt, underneath your surface muscles, that wraps around your spine. This muscle belt protects and stabilizes your back. The transverse abdominis is attached to your ribs and pelvis. For some people with back pain, a weak transverse abdominis may be the cause. A strong transverse abdominis also helps, along with your other ab muscles, to hold in your stomach.

The iliopsoas is made up of two interacting muscles: the psoas (pronounced so-as) and the iliacus. These pelvic-floor muscles are crucial to having a strong back, says Theresa Cochran, a Personal Fitness Trainer in Calgary. The psoas muscle helps stabilize your spine.

These are the core muscles in your trunk that are responsible for your posture and ability to function in everyday life, as well as to maintain fitness and to perform well in sports. Think of building a tall structure. If the foundation isn't strong, the building will be structurally unsound.

The same idea applies to exercise. For example, if you strengthen your arms and legs and the superficial abdominal muscles, they may look well-defined. But when you have to use your muscles functionally - during real-life activities - you won't be as strong as you appear.

To maintain a strong and healthy back, you should exercise the core muscles in ways specific to how they function in daily life. For example, Reebok designed an exercise class format called "Core Training" that involves people stepping onto an off-balance board (the Core Board). To keep you upright, your core muscles stabilize you while you perform the movement. Conversely, think of doing crunches. During a regular day, how many times do you lie down and have to lift your chest a few inches off the floor? Performing exercises for your core, though, puts your muscles in situations that they encounter daily.

Strong core muscles are central to the body's movements, says C.C. Cunningham, a Chicago-based personal trainer. "A lot of weak links can be traced back to the core. If your abdominal or back muscles are not strong enough to rotate the trunk, you have to rotate your shoulders or hips more to compensate," Cunningham says. She sees this overcompensation among recreational female athletes.

Strong core muscles will give you a more consistent tennis or golf swing and a more powerful swimming stroke. "Most sports start from an extended position where you lean back and curl up toward the center, such as an overhead hit or serve in tennis or the backswing in golf," Cunningham says. Crunches won't train the abdominal muscles to handle these twisting motions.

Many fitness centers and gyms offer core-type classes, with or without the board. Some trainers teach movements on stability balls - big beach ball-type balls that require you to engage your core muscles to stay balanced. Pilates classes use these deep core muscles as well.

Learn more at eDiets.com...


-----------------
Related articles:

Intro to Training the Core Muscles

CNN.com: Core strengthening

Bodybuilding.com: Training The Core Muscles

AllSpiritFitness.com: Core Strength Q&A