Spring into Strengthening your Core

What is the Core?

The core is the central part of your body, serving as your primary stabilizer. It plays a key role in supporting everyday movements, enhancing balance, protecting abdominal organs, and guarding the spine.

The core plays a pivotal role in helping our body perform movements such as bending forward, backward, side to side, and rotating. It consists of four major muscles that extend over the abdomen: the Rectus Abdominis, Transverse Abdominis, and the Internal and External Obliques. The Rectus Abdominis, or more commonly known as the “six-pack”, runs vertically along the front of the stomach. The Internal and External Obliques are located on either side of the Rectus Abdominis, while the Transverse Abdominis is positioned deep beneath the obliques. These four muscles each contribute their own specific movements and functions, while simultaneously working together.

The core teams up with other muscle groups in the body, such as the back, hips, glutes, diaphragm, and pelvic floor muscles. Together, all of these muscles work unified to promote movement and provide stability.

Why is it Important to Strengthen my Core?

Building and maintaining a strong core will make everyday movements easier and help alleviate strain on other areas of the body such as the back, knees, and hips. Your core serves as the central foundation of the body, and it is engaged far more often than most people realize!

When a person experiences neurological conditions that lead to muscle weakness or loss of balance control, engaging the core can be highly beneficial. Weaker muscles tend to fatigue more quickly than stronger ones, so strengthening the core can help slow down this fatigue. A strong abdominal foundation can enhance balance while walking, lowering the risks of falls, improve stability when sitting, and make everyday tasks easier to perform.

So, I use my Core Everyday?

Absolutely! Anytime you carry a laundry basket to the washer, reach for something on a high shelf in the kitchen, lift a heavy box and take it down the stairs to the basement, or simply stand up from a chair, your core is engaged and activated.

How do I Know I am Activating my Core?

When performing any task, it is essential to engage your core correctly for the best results, and to avoid any strain or injury. A simple way to remember is to pull your belly button toward your spine. This action helps tighten and activate your core muscles. Proper core engagement helps reduce the risk of injury to other parts of your body.

Exercises to Help Activate Your Core!

Core exercises can be tailored to your own personal abilities, allowing you to modify each workout to fit your specific needs and goals. When working on your core, it is important to prioritize quality over quantity – maintaining proper form and control can make a significant difference in results.

Core exercises can be performed in various positions, which includes but is not limited to: standing, seated, lying on your back or stomach, in a four-point kneeling stance, and many other variations.

Some core exercises that can be performed in various positions and adjusted for different levels of difficulty include:

• Sit-ups
• Planks
• Bird dogs
• Mountain climbers
• Glute bridges
• Bear crawl
• Seated side bends

Check out our staff favourites with the link attached to this blog!

Watch our video for staff favourites!

**Disclaimer: these exercises may not be suitable for everyone. Please reach out to your physiotherapist or your primary health care provider for any further questions!