Three core exercises you should be doing...
In this newsletter you will learn three exercises that will help strengthen and stabilize your core. Before we get to the goods let’s first understand a few things about the core. What is the core? When we say “core” people often just think of “abs” or the abdominal muscles. It goes well beyond that. Your core is a complex series of muscles including everything besides your arms and legs essentially. Almost every movement of the human body incorporates these core muscles. For a list of the muscles comprising the core, look here. Importance of the core
Posture - Strengthening the core will correct bad posture by distributing weight evenly throughout the body.
Helps prevent injuries and alleviates back pain - Research shows that people with weak core muscles have an increased risk of back ache and injury, since they lack adequate spine support. Core strengthening and stabilizing training can help help reduce discomfort, improve mobility and improve support for the spine in people with both acute and chronic pain. Improving mobility and strength in the hips, thighs, glutes and back can help prevent back pain and relieve the aches.
Required for dynamic motion - Simply put, if you want to move and move well you need your core. The core muscles link the upper and lower body. If a link in the body chain is broken, performance will suffer. Conversely, if you want to improve athletic performance or functional movement, train your core.
One common mistake when training the core Our core is three dimensional in its structure and in its function. It most often acts as a stabilizer and force transfer center so it is interesting to note that often people focus on training their core as a prime mover and in isolation. Examples would be doing crunches instead of functional movements like deadlifts and push-ups, to name a couple. Only training one pattern, movement or position while neglecting others is problematic. Core movements or “anti” movements to incorporate
Anti-Extension: Any exercise where the purpose is to resist extension at the spine. Anti-Rotation: Any exercise where the purpose is to resist rotation at the lumbar spine. Anti-Lateral Flexion: Any exercise where the purpose is to resist lateral flexion (sideways bending) at the spine. Core exercises
Overhead Medicine Ball Slams (anti-extension) - Grab a medicine ball, with a strong shoulder-width stance raise the ball overhead and slam it to the ground. Pick up the medicine ball by squatting down using your legs (not rolled shoulders nor using your back) and repeat movement for five to ten reps
Paloff Press Hold with Band (anti-rotation) - Attach a resistance band to a structure. Grab the band with both hands at chest level. Press the band away from your chest and hold for three seconds or longer. Return band to chest and repeat for 10 reps on each side
Farmer’s Carry (anti-lateral flexion) - Pick up a weight, dumbbell, kettle bell, (make sure to use your legs not your back when lifting weights off the floor). Brace your core, contract the muscle around your trunk, shoulders back, look straight ahead, and walk. Make sure your body remains in proper alignment and does not rotate. Your core should be engaged the entire time. You can walk for time or distance and increase or decrease the weight you are carrying
You learned three exercises that train your core that I complete on a weekly basis. These are just three. There are hundreds of variations and different exercises that you can use to train your core. Ensure you understand the importance of a strong and stable core and incorporate a variety of movements for enhanced performance in your sport and daily life. For more resources be sure to check out this GNF newsletter, Solution for back issues…and anyone who sits.... To your journey, Lisa Schaffer GreenNote Fitness P.S. Check out my Facebook page for inspiration. P.P.S. Discover GreenNote Fitness recommendations for recovery, supplements, protein bars & powders, nutrition, equipment, books and more. **Do you have a friend that would benefit from this information? Please forward it to them!**
