Benefits of Core Training at Any Age
With all the hype about core training what is it and why is everyone so focused on it?
Core Training can be any exercise that is focused on improving strength and stability in the torso or trunk. It is important because this is where all of our movements originated. The "Core" is like the solid base or foundation on which we can move more efficiently and with less risk for injury if we have conditioned it properly.
Think about a crane with the arm moving freely from it. Without the base of the crane being stable and solid whether moving or not the arm could not function properly and with ease. This is how the body works, the torso of the body is like the solid, stable middle of which the arms and legs can be mobilized and move with more ease and efficiency.
That crane is like a well-trained runner. If you've ever seen an Olympic Sprinter notice how stable the torso is while their arms and legs are turning over in a blaze of speed. If the body happened to be unstable, wobbling or swaying side-to-side they wouldn't be able to move as quickly because the arms and legs wouldn't have that stable base to work from.
Benefits of Core Training:
· Helps to prevent injuries. A strong, stable core can help to prevent injuries because with stronger muscles supporting the spine, pelvis, and shoulder joints it can better handle the forces of rotation and compression that lead to back and joint injuries.
The body's joints are like links in a chain and are surrounded and supported by muscles and tendons. If any of these supporting structures are weak others are called upon to compensate for this weakness. Because they were not designed for this purpose they can become injured over time by the repetitive wear and tear.
For example, if I was hitting a golf ball and my low back was weak and inflexible I would probably overcompensate by muscling through the shot with my shoulders. Because the shoulder joint is not designed for such a forceful swing, over time I may injure the muscles, tendons, and /or ligaments supporting the shoulder joint.
· Helps to improve bowel function and reduces incontinence. Once again the pelvic floor muscles are part of the core. These muscles help to eliminate waste products from our bodies through contractions. If these muscles are weak or deconditioned they cannot contract properly which may lead to incontinence or improper bowel functioning.
· Reduces risk for low-back pain and injury. Core exercises are designed to stretch and strengthen the muscles, tendons, and ligaments that support and protect the spine.
Most low back pain is caused by bad posture, excessive body weight, physical inactivity, and faulty body mechanics. All the gravitational forces from sitting, walking, running impact the low-back area and if it is not supported properly the spine will suffer.
· Improves posture making the stomach look flatter. The protruding "pooch" people seem to obtain around middle age is usually caused by weak abdominal muscles, specifically the transverse abdominal muscles that are located deeply in the lower abdomen. The weakness in these abdominal muscles also contributes to the "slouched" posture and "hunchback" look.
Without strong abdominal muscles to support the spine and to compress or hold in the abdominal contents your posture will falter along with the protrusion of the lower abdomen.
The Best ways to Train the Core
1. Pilates exercises are well known to work the "core" or strengthen the abdominal muscles for a flatter stomach and a long, lean look.
Pilates works from the inside out strengthening the deeper transverse abdominal muscles, those that support and protect the spine and pelvis. In essence, those muscles assist with the contractions for our bowel and urinary functioning.
What most people don't realize is that Pilates is a very rehabilitative form of exercise that simultaneously stretches the tight muscles while strengthening the weak ones. This way of exercising does, in effect, help to realign the spine, pelvis, and shoulder areas.
Pilates works to stabilize the core or torso while simultaneously mobilizing the joints to move the extremities of the arms and legs more efficiently and without stress and strain.
2. Exercise Ball for Instability. The Swiss Ball or Resistaball as it has become known is also a great way to train the core. Studies have shown that just 2 days per week on the ball has been shown to improve balance in older adults.
The exercise ball is a great core workout because of the instability of having to stabilize or center your gravity while moving on or with the ball. The core is constantly working to keep you from rolling off the top or sides of the ball while you are exercising.
Related Tags: pilates, low back pain, posture, core strength, core, core training, exercise ball
Jennifer Adolfs is a certified Pilates Mat and Equipment Specialist who works with musculoskeletal injuries. Her new Pilates Ebook outlines special considerations for those affected by back and joint conditions. You can learn more by going to her web site at http://www.Pilates-Back-Joint-Exercise.com Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- Dental Insurance For Individual Can Be Of Help At Time
Dental problem may cost one a lot of money and pain. But, practicing a reasonable care could decreas - Personal Trainer For Perfect Health
There is a general misconception that need for a fitness trainer comes for novice or from those who - Varicose Veins - Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
The majority of people after thirty notice the changes that appear with the maturing. In this case t - Scenar Therapy - Self-treatment Or Healing Partnership
Do you want to learn about a device which will help you to ease your pain? If you get this kind of a - Scenar - 5 "no, Nos" Of Scenar
Are you fed up with the pain in your body? Various parts of our body seem to ache due to different r - Scenar Device - 5 Tips On Travelling With Your Scenar (skenar) Device
You might be aware of scenar which has become quite popular these days. This is actually the acronym - Scenar Therapy - How To Treat Your Pet With Scenar
There are many alternative methods of treatment that are being invented these days. Lots of people a - Your Options For The Treatment For Appendicitis
Appendicitis is considered to be a surgical illness. Due to its severe character, the treatment for - How To Choose The Right Copd Medication
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD does not have any cure. But with the help of medicines - Septic Arthritis: Infectious Agents Penetrate Joints' Spaces
Another major type of arthritis is septic arthritis, which is also known in various terms like: pyog
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Drugs - the Last Alternative for Adhd in Kids
Anyone over the age of thirty who has grown up with ADHD understands that there was not much help av - Foods To Eat To Gain Weight
Malnutrition has the same degree of problem as obesity. There are people who are too skinny, they fi - Understanding Postpartum Clothing
The same way most pregnant women dream of the day when they will begin showing for wearing maternity - Kegel Exercising for Bladder Control and Enhanced Sexual Pleasure
Kegel exercises strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor, thereby improving the urethra and/or rec - The Use Of Weight Loss Herbs
Nothing has garnered more attention in today's world than the success or failures of weight loss pro - A Simple Acid Relux Cure
Many people today are afflicted with heartburn. If they eat food that is too spicy, they get heartbu - Five Effective Household Back Pain Treatments
Back pain treatment comes in lots of forms, from exercise to pain mediction. Standard and most wides - Herbal Remedies - Can They Cure What Ails You?
You've probably heard about herbal remedies before and how they can treat a variety of health proble - Natural Relief for Tinnitus - What are your Choices
Natural Relief For Tinnitus - Alternative Options Did you know that there are an estimated 50 t - Birthing Around the World
Since ancestral times, different cultures showed off different customs and beliefs around the miracl