Core strength goes far beyond sculpting six-pack abs: core workouts involve all the muscle groups that support your pelvic girdle, including the deep muscles of your spine and abdomen. Building core strength creates stability in the trunk of the body, which improves your posture, protects your spine and lower back from injury, and increases your overall power to perform in athletic activities.
Core Muscles
When you think of your core, it may help to visualize your torso or the trunk of your body to understand where your core muscles are and how they function together.
When you move your torso, your body engages both your superficial abdominal muscles-the rectus abdmonius that gives you the six-pack look and allows your spine to flex-and your deep abdominal muscles, especially the transverse abdominis (TVA).
Your TVA wraps around your body and connects to your spine and functions like a girdle by compressing (flattening) the abdomen wall that protects your internal organs.
On either side of your core are your internal and external oblique muscles. These muscles allow your torso to rotate and bend to the side. When they're strong and working together, your oblique muscles protect your spine and compress your abdominal wall.
Your core also includes the muscles around the spine. The erector spinae muscles are key muscles in the lower back and help you extend your spine, and the mutlifidus which lie beneath them and run along either side of all your vertebrae. Strength here contributes to greater torso power and stability.
Other muscles that play a key role in building core strength include your hip flexors, which extend from your upper pelvis to the top of the thigh; and your side and back glutes (hips and buttocks).
Together, these muscles connect your upper and lower body and act as the foundation for all movement.
Core Strength Benefits
The primary benefit of developing your core is increased stability in the body. Your torso is the center from which your movement originates and the more stable it is, the more efficiently, safely and powerfully you move.
Having a strong core also makes it easier to perform most physical activities, whether you're looking for more power in your tennis swing or reaching for the gravy boat at the top of the cabinet.
Strengthening your core improves your posture, protects your spine from injury and helps prevent lower back pain, the most common sign of a weak core. If you're not core's not strong, it doesn't matter how big your biceps are-your back will still be vulnerable when you're lifting or moving heavy objects.
Getting Started
It's easy to begin strengthening your core. Although some people like to use exercise balls (cross link to exercise ball article), core strength exercises don't require you to purchase equipment or join a gym. All you need is determination, commitment and your body.
You can do core strength exercises daily and just about anywhere. The key is to start slowly and remember that how you perform the exercises is more important than how much you do-quality is more important than quantity.
More than Just Sit-ups
Some people shy away from core strength exercises based on the misconception that they'll be doing hours of sit-ups and crunches. While those exercises should be included as part of a core strength workout, you want to be sure you perform a variety of movements that engage your core.
Ways to strengthen your core also include:
 | An exercise ball workout forces you to engage multiple muscles in your core at once, increasing the effectiveness of your workout while decreasing the amount of time you need to work out if you targeted each core muscle independently. |
Core training is the latest rage in the fitness industry, but not many people really understand what it is. There are many misconceptions about what it is and how it works. People know that core training is smarter training, but they may not realize why that is. |
Exercise equipment comes in a large range of pieces for individuals to choose from. However, one of the most useful pieces of exercise equipment, the "exercise ball" is also one of the most simple. First introduced by a group of medical therapists who practiced in Switzerland, exercise balls, like other exercise equipment, are available in different sizes and a number of eye-catching colors. |
Whether you want to improve your balance or develop killer abdominal muscles, core strength training is your ticket to a stronger you. |
You don't need fancy equipment to build strength in your abdominals and lower back. Instead, try these five core exercises that do not require fitness equipment. |
