The Importance of Core Training

The Stem of All Body Movement/The importance of Core training: No matter if your sport is football, field hockey, or swimming; one thing remains a constant. You have to strengthen your core if you expect to achieve optimum performance. It is a misconception that to be the fastest person on the track team all you need to do is log the miles and increase your leg strength. Instead, work on developing your core muscles and you will be surprised at the results. It's no coincidence that Pilates and other abdominal-based workouts are taking off like "wildfire." More and more professional sports teams are seeing the benefits of practices like Pilates because of the focus on stabilization, balance, and injury prevention that come from a concentrated core exercise routine. For example, core training is the foundation of functional strength and movement training. By developing these "powerhouse" muscles, your leg muscles will have a stronger anchor point and consequently, will enable you to run at full strength. All force generated by the upper and lower body musculature either originates, is stabilized by, or is transferred through the trunk and low torso. So the stronger you can make your core muscles, the less energy you will waste and the more power you will be able to generate from your legs. So, you might ask, "Where exactly are my core muscles?" These commonly called powerhouse muscles are mostly located in your abdominal area. But to simply say that doing crunches and various sit-up exercises is an effective core workout is untrue. You need to reach these muscles that hold you upright by training the body from the inside out. Your Rectus Abdominis is a long muscle that runs along the front of the stomach and is commonly referred to as the six-pack. With proper nutrition and cardiovascular conditioning, you can see these muscles more than any of the others located in the core group. There is also the External and Internal Oblique's. Together they make up the muscles on the side and front of your waist. In addition, there's the Transverse Abdominis; the deepest of the abdominal muscles and hardest to see. It acts like weight belt wrapping around your spine for protection and stability. Finally, there are the muscles of the neck and back called the Erector Spinae. The muscles of the trunk and torso stabilize the spine from the pelvis to the neck and shoulder. They allow the transfer of powerful movements of the arms and legs. All powerful movements originate from the center of the body out, and never from the limbs alone. Before any powerful, rapid muscle contractions can occur in the limbs, the spine must be solid and stable. Training the muscles of the core also corrects postural imbalances that can lead to injuries. Weak core muscles result in a loss of the appropriate lumbar curve and a swayback posture. Stronger balanced core muscles help maintain appropriate posture and reduce strain on the spine. Next time you workout, instead of focusing on isolated and segmented training, try a functional or compound exercise. This is exercise that calls on all body systems at the same time including strength, cardiovascular, balance and core muscles. An example of this might be doing a dumbbell shoulder press on top of the Bosu Ball. By doing so, you'll be faster, stronger, less prone to injury. You will be more conditioned overall because you have worked the body from the inside out, and therefore created a strong "stem" for all your body movement.