5 Reasons why Core Strength & Stabilization are so important
Every trainer, physical therapist or health expert will tell you to “work on your core”. They will stress how a weak core is the reason for a lot of different pain points in the body. Unfortunately, many of those same professionals do not take the time to really explain WHY it is so important and how utilizing a variety of different exercises to target specific muscle groups can benefit you in daily life. If you want to learn more about low back pain myths, click this link to read a previous blog where that information was covered. For now, let’s talk about 5 reasons why core strength and stabilization can help you in everyday life and with athletics!
Balance
When contracting the core musculature (and supporting muscle groups in the hips & back), the spine becomes a much more stable unit. This will naturally help with your overall balance with daily activities. Without a consistent routine of exercise, it is common for our clients to mention having issues with balance, especially with aging. Ideally, our clients are guided towards building a safe, effective core strength regimen which will assist them with balance subconsciously. Sometimes you don’t have time to think about bracing your core once a stumble occurs! We want you to have the foundational strength to protect you at all times.
Bending
If we were to completely ignore proper bending mechanics and reach down to the ground from our hips & lower back, the muscles in our lumbar spine are forced to stand us back up. It is very common to see this occur with gardening, shoveling, reorganizing a room or painting, for example. Having a strong core will aid in countering the utilization of our spinal extensors. This creates balance in our trunk from front to back & side to side. Adding in proper body mechanics will help you to avoid injury when bending during your favorite activities!
Rotation
Believe it or not, rotation begins at the core! Our obliques and multifidi will engage to help the spine rotate safely, acting as the control center of our body. If we think about spinal anatomy, each disc is sandwiched between two vertebrae, acting as a shock-absorber during impact and rotation. Without the deep muscles of our abdominals activating to help stabilize each segment, we cannot expect the important structures of our spine to work appropriately. This will eventually lead to injury, especially if dealing with heavy loads or resistance. Make sure to utilize rotation and anti-rotation exercises to provide reinforcement for your body during these movements.
Posture
Overall posture is important in everyday life. Although there are many factors which contribute to our posture, core strength is certainly at the top of the list. Having and maintaining good strength & stability at the midsection creates the same sensation as a lumbar support brace. Think of your muscles as a corset, which grip your body tightly. Only this corset works from the inside! The stronger that group of muscles can be, the “tighter” the corset gets, helping us to maintain an upright position and prevent structural breakdown at other joints.
Lifting
Lastly, core strength and stabilization plays a tremendous role in lifting mechanics. Similar to bending & rotation, we need that group of muscles to create spinal stiffness when lifting an object. Whether it is a box from the ground, a piece of furniture that you’re moving, an item at work, or weights at the gym, our core needs to protect the spine from creating unwanted movements. As a matter of fact, the stronger our core is, the more stiffness we can create in the spine, which directly leads to improved squatting and deadlift capacity!
If you find that you are having difficulty with any of these movements listed above, now is the time to improve! Do not wait until you have a major injury or are in a ton of pain to better yourself. Restore Physical Therapy is offering a 6-Week Core Stabilization & Mobility Class starting next week! You can still register now!
Click on the button below to access the registration form and let’s get you moving the way you want!