Discover the Power of the Core: More than Just Abs!
Hello, fitness enthusiasts! Today, let’s unravel the mystique surrounding one of the most important, yet often misunderstood, aspects of our body – OUR CORES.
Often when we hear the term ‘core’, our minds immediately envision a washboard six-pack. However, the real core of our body is much more than just our abdominal muscles. It’s a complex network of muscles extending far beyond our abs and includes our hip and trunk muscles. Intrigued? Let’s dig deep.
The Core: A Muscular Powerhouse
Think of your core as a sturdy muscular box, housing vital organs and providing balance and stability to your body. Fronted by your abdominals, backed by the paraspinal and gluteal muscles, the diaphragm sits atop like a roof while the pelvic floor and hip girdle muscles form the base.
Inside this muscular box, 29 pairs of muscles work in unison to stabilize your spine, pelvis, and kinetic chain during functional movements. A healthy, strong core can lower your risk of injuries and enhance your overall performance in any physical activity.
Unleashing the Core Duo: Stabilisers and Global Movers
The core muscles are classified into stabilisers and global movers. Together, they facilitate optimal spinal stabilization.
The stabilizers include the :
- Pelvic floor
- Transversus abdominis
- Internal obliques
- Multifidus
- Diaphragm
Some also argue for including the deep fibres of the psoas and the deep hip rotators as part of the inner core stabilisers.
On the other hand, global movers that generate larger, gross movements are the:
- rectus abdominis
- external obliques
- erector spinae
- quadratus lumborum
- hip muscle groups
This fine orchestra of muscles ensures efficient motion and support to the body.
The Intricate Play of Muscle Types
Our core houses slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscles that serve different roles. The slow-twitch fibres make up the local stabilising muscle system. They’re short in length and ideal for controlling intersegmental motion required in postural and extrinsic loading responses.
On the other hand, the fast-twitch fibres form the global muscle system. These muscles are long, have large lever arms, and generate large amounts of torque and gross movements.
The Role of Physiotherapy
Physiotherapy plays a vital role in strengthening the core muscles, preventing lower back pain (LBP), and promoting overall wellness. It involves more than simply performing various exercises that target the abdominal and back muscles.
The core training should focus on the muscles in the pelvic floor, hips, and spine. Lack of coordination in the core muscles can lead to decreased efficiency of movement and injurious compensatory patterns. Therefore, an optimal exercise program should facilitate motor relearning of inhibited muscles, alongside strengthening the core muscles.
Remember, core strengthening is not just about lifting heavy weights. It’s about understanding your body, addressing weaknesses, and training intelligently to maximize results. Therefore, exercise caution when engaging in heavy resistance training or exercises promoting full spinal flexion or repetitive torsion, as these may turn out to be damaging to your lumbar spine.
Discover the power within you, nurture your core, and embark on a journey to a healthier, stronger you! Find our how the CORZ Cradle can build, improve and maintain your core strength whatever your age. hello@ourcorz.com
