CORE, Why Are These muscles so Important?

Often times, I hear people referring to Ab muscles as CORE muscles. While ab muscles are part of  what we know as CORE, they are not the only ones. Core muscles involve all the torso stabilizing muscles, muscles that maintain the scapula in place as well as those those muscles that stabilize the pelvis.  CORE muscles link the trunk, abdominal region to the pelvic region and shoulder girdle. These are the muscles that give us stability, control, balance, support and strength.   Working on your core is extremely important for the following reasons:


1. Core muscles are involved in every activity we do. We use them when we have to sit, stand, walk, run, lift, twist, bend. 
2.Weak CORE muscles make you more prone to injuries. Think of your body like a temple. If  one of the temple's pillars is weak, it is more likely to get injured and lead to further complications. Strong pillars hold you strong, steady and more secure. 
3. Exercising these muscles can help prevent muscle imbalance. With every day demands and habits ( jobs, driving long distances, uncomfortable chairs, sedentary positions, bad posture), our muscles are constantly struggling to find a balance. Often times, our daily demands and equipment are not helping.  A strong core can help achieve greater muscle balance and thus prevent pain and injuries.

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4. Exercising the CORE muscles helps stabilize the torso and which helps create a strong base to transfer forces applied to the body in everyday life. ( every movement involves transferring of forces).
5. A common injury associated with poor CORE strength is lower back pain. This is because the abdominal and hip muscles are supposed to work with the lower back to withstand forces applied to the body; However, very often these muscles are not strong enough, which cause the lower back to take more strain than it can handle and usually results in overuse and injury - Michael Roots.
6.   Poor CORE muscles strength along with muscle imbalance can make you more prone to developing pelvic misalignment leading to hip , foot or knee pain.
7. A Strong CORE  is essential for enhanced performance in most of our daily physical activities.
8. A strong core allows for greater balance to move our limbs freely.

I hope this article can bring your some awareness of the importance of our CORE muscles. It's never too late to exercise these muscles. But please consult with a physician and a personal trainer if you feel you may have any contraindication to start a CORE exercise program.  A future blog will be explaining some exercises on how to strengthen these muscles. For more information, feel free to contact me.