Core fitness training

Hello everyone. In this section I am going to address core fitness. This is a very important topic for any athlete, however even for just normal daily life it is even more important, since we use the core in many ways including just walking!

A strong and healthy core is the first thing you should start to train when getting into fitness. With a strong core you will notice ALL exercises and movements will be easier to do. The core supports all our limbs and as such every physical action we perform. 6 pack is nice and looks good, BUT a strong core is NEEDED for a truly healthy life.

Core fitness training will enhance balance and stability. A strong core will improve your posture, it will improve functional movement, which is important to athletes, as well as anyone that needs to walk, bend, turn and lift things in their life, which is basically all of us. A strong core will also prevent back pain. A lot of people think that back pain is caused by a weak back. In most cases however weak abdominal muscles cause low back pain.

A strong core can also help you lift heavier loads. Whether you are lifting weights, packing heavy boxes or carrying the groceries into the house, if you have a weak core you are an accident waiting to happen. Take the time to strengthen your core and you will be a happier person.

What are the Core Muscles?

The core muscles are not only the abs, actually they include many muscles that work together to create a strong foundation in the body. Without this foundation you will never be able to utilize the full power of your arms and legs. It is very important that you include all these muscle groups in your training.

The muscles included in the core are:

Rectus Abdominis – the muscles that make up the “six-pack”, located along the front of the abdomen.
External Obliques – located on the sides and slightly in the front of the abdomen.
Internal Obliques – located under the external obliques, they however run in the opposite direction.
Transverse Abdominis (TVA) – These are located under the obliques, they are the deepest of the abdominal muscles and they also wrap around your spine for stability and protection.
Erector Spinae- This group of three muscles travels down from your neck to your lower back.
Hip Flexors – these are located in the front of the pelvis and upper thigh. there are several muscles that make up the Hip Flexors and they include: psoas major, illiacus, rectus femoris, pectineus, sartorius
Gluteus medius and minimus – function together to pull the thigh away from midline of the body, or “abduct” the thigh.
Gluteus maximus, hamstring group, piriformis – Support the pelvis, the trunk and also act upon the head of the femur; this is especially obvious in standing on one leg as in Tree Pose.
Hip adductors – It’s primary functions are to adduct and laterally rotate the femur .

1. The Muscles of the core

Exercises that Build Core Strength

Core fitness training is most effective when the all the muscles of the torso work together as a solid unit and both front and back muscles contract at the same time, multi joint movements are performed and stabilization of the spine is constant. Abdominal bracing is a basic technique used during core exercise training.

To correctly brace, you should attempt to pull your navel back in toward your spine. This action primarily recruits transverse abdominis, you should be able to breathe while doing this, you should NOT hold your breath. Just imagine a string attached to the inside of your belly button, and have that string pull your belly button back towards your spine while NOT affecting your breathing. I love yoga personally, and in almost all yoga poses you should pull your navel in towards that spine to create a foundation for the pose, and also work the core in every pose you are in.

There are many exercises that will strengthen the core. Many core fitness training exercises can be done at home with no equipment …there are some that require the use of equipment and gadgets, but the best are actually the ones that are possible by just using your body.

The Best Core Exercises:

In this section we will have many core fitness training exercises listed, we will be adding content here consistently over the next few months… so make sure to bookmark us, as well as Like us on our Facebook page or Twitter, to be informed of when we add new content.

The First exercise I would like to add for you is the SIDE PLANK for this section, it is great for a beginner as well as can have more advances options for those in better shape.

LINKS TO SPECIFIC EXERCISES COMING, BOOKSMARK or SIGN UP FOR OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS TO BE INFORMED WHEN ADDED.