Core Strength: What Is it?

   

Core is a popular buzzword these days and you are probably wondering what the fuss is all about.  The trainers are all talking about it, but I’ve never been quite sure what it means.  Core training is one of those nebulous terms that trainers use, and they all seem to assume that we get it.  I have yet to get up the nerve to tell them that I have no idea what they are talking about.

 

 Exercising is one thing, but what does having a “core” have to do with it?  I think Mark Verstegen in his book “Core Performance Essentials,” puts it into a perspective that we can understand.  Core isn’t something that just signifies athletic prowess; it is about surmounting the challenges of day to day living.  The author points out that day to day living is just as physically and mentally grueling as anything that you find in a sport.  He goes on to say that athletic training pales in comparison when put up against the challenges that most people face every day.  I like that.  It tells me that core exercising isn’t just about losing weight, pumping iron, or running a marathon. 

 

You need strength, endurance and agility just to get you through your daily routine, and this is compounded as you get older.  Forget the hype about weight loss and six-pack abs, what really matters is improving your physical and mental well being in order to ensure productive day to day existence.

 

The core is the new term for your center of power.  Core training centers on the strength and flexibility of your core, or your torso.  A well conditioned core means improved balance, strength, endurance, power, and speed. Gary Bredehoft writing for the Lincoln Journal Star (May 26, 2009) puts it very succinctly when he writes that strengthening the core stabilizes your pelvis, which stabilizes your hips, which stabilizes your feet.  Your core is much more than your abs.  It refers to the entire midsection of your body.  The core is your center of gravity.  It consists of your abdominal muscles, hip flexors, lower back muscles and hip extensors.  It forms the basis for all movements.

 

The core actually consists of many different muscles that run the entire length of the torso.  These muscles stabilize the spine, pelvis and shoulders and provide a foundation for the movement of the extremities.  Core conditioning programs target these muscle groups.  Core strength is the foundation of all movement.

 

Remember that exercise is a long term strategy not a quick fix. No matter how bad off you are right now, you are not doomed to poor health and an early exit.  The trouble is that if you don’t exercise you may very well become one of those old people who can’t get out of a chair or walk unassisted.  Your goal is not only to live longer but to live better.   Think back to how a baby learns how to move. They go from wiggling to rolling over to crawling and then finally to standing and walking.  Aging kind of reverses that process and many people lose the ability to squat, maintain balance, or even to stand upright.  Instead of conceding that this devolution is unavoidable you can challenge yourself by exercising.  Having a weak core is not part of normal aging.   Effective workouts should train you in functional movements.  When your trainer/instructor talks about strengthening your core, it is time to sit up and listen.  Core training is for older people too.

 

 

Comments

[Core Conditioning]

It's a very important activity in order to stay healthy, that's what core conditioning basically is.