Fitness professionals often discuss the importance of core muscles. Core muscles are important because they help with everyday movement, posture, and balance. They also reduce the risk of injury. A strong core is also a good indicator of overall fitness.
There are a few different ways you can strengthen and tone your core. Bodyweight exercises, weighted workouts, Pilates, yoga, and equipment such as ab rollers and the best resistance bands can all help you engage these muscles.
Before going online to look for fitness equipment, it is beneficial to understand why your core muscles are important and how certain exercises can target them. This will help you decide which type of workouts to add to your routine.
What Is the “Core?”
There are many misconceptions about what the “core” is, even among fitness professionals. Most people probably think that the core is simply the abdominals, aka the “6-pack.” However, the core is much more than that.
The core is the center of our body and it functions to stabilize the trunk while the arms and legs move during functional movements. When we view it this way, we see that the core actually includes:
- Muscles that stabilize the hips.
- The system of muscles that make up the torso (on the front, the sides, and the back of the body).
- Muscles that stabilize the shoulders.
Why Is the Core so Important?
The core muscles have two main functions: to spare the spine from excessive load and to transfer force from the lower body to the upper body and vice versa. A strong, stable core helps prevent injuries and allows us to perform at our best.
Back injuries typically occur when incorrect mechanics are used while bending forward, side to side, or rotating excessively. These injuries are not commonly the result of a single event (like lifting something heavy), but rather from a history of excessive load. To protect the back, we want to create 360 degrees of stiffness around the spine as we move, run, jump, throw, lift objects, and transfer force throughout our body. We are able to do this when all of the muscles in our hips, torso, and shoulders work together.
How Do We Build Core Stability?
There is a big shift happening away from people doing traditional core exercises like sit-ups, crunches and side bends. This is because new research is revealing that these exercises might not be as effective as we thought, and they might even be harmful.
Instead of creating large ranges of motion through the trunk like these traditional exercises do, most health professionals have shifted to more functional exercises to enhance the stability of the hips, torso and shoulders. Here are some basic exercises that train these key areas and a few tips to keep in mind:
- Forward plank – keep a straight line through the body, preventing the hips from sagging toward the floor.
- Side plank – maintain a straight line from your head to your heels in order to prevent side bending.
- Hip thrust – while lying on your back, bend your knees to roughly 90 degrees and press your feet firmly into the floor. Squeeze the glute muscles to lift your hips off the floor, getting your shoulders, hips, and knees into a straight line.
- Weighted carries – a great way to practice transferring force through the body. You can carry a weight in one or both hands and simply walk for a certain distance or time.The focus is on staying long through the body and not bending or twisting in any direction. These carries can be done with the weight by your side(s) or pressing the weight overhead and reaching for the sky!
A study in the BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders journal showed that having a weak core is associated with increased risks of chronic low back pain and falling, especially for older women.
According to Daniell, most neck and back problems are caused by a weak core. Having strong, balanced core muscles will help you maintain good posture and reduce strain on your spine. Training your core muscles can also help correct postural imbalances that can lead to injuries.
A weak core can look like:
- Lower back pain
- Poor posture
- Poor balance
- Difficulty getting up
WHAT MUSCLES MAKE UP THE CORE?
The core muscles are a group of muscles that run along the front and back of the torso, including the inner thigh, hamstrings, glutes, and pelvic floor. These muscles help to support posture.
A study from the journal of BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders has shown that a weak core is associated with chronic low back pain and an increased risk of falling, particularly for older women.
According to Daniell, most neck and back problems are caused by a weak core. Having strong, balanced core muscles helps improve posture and reduces strain on the spine. Additionally, training the core muscles can help fix postural imbalances that could lead to injuries.
A weak core can look like:
- Lower back pain
- Poor posture
- Poor balance
- Difficulty getting up
Daniell states that the primary advantage to fortifying core muscles is increased functional fitness— meaning being able to carry out everyday tasks without difficulty.
Now that we understand why it's important to have strong core muscles, how can we go about making them stronger?
PT Tom Opper says that the most effective way to build core strength is to target the abdominal muscles directly through isolation exercises such as crunches, leg raises, and planks. He also says that incorporating larger compound movements that engage the core when using weights, such as squats and deadlifts, will also strengthen the core.
Working your abdominal muscles during exercises can help to keep you stable, especially when you are doing movements that involve weights. Sometimes it can be helpful to focus on specific areas of the abdomen.
Opper says that the plank is one of the best exercises you can do to build core strength. The plank requires you to hold a straight line from your shoulders to your toes without collapsing, which strengthens all areas of your core. If it's too challenging, you can regress the movement by dropping your knees to the floor.
Deadbugs are a popular core workout because they improve your front core stability, according to Opper. If you don't engage your core properly during weighted exercises, the weight can accumulate on your lower back, which can cause injury.
In addition to your rectus abdominis (the six-pack muscle), it is important to not neglect your obliques (the muscles on the side of your abdomen). These muscles protect your spine while helping with the rotation of your trunk. Opper says that there are several exercises which help build strength in your obliques, and it is important to do a variety of different movements, such as Russian Twists and Side Bends, to build a strong, well-rounded core.
EXERCISES THAT STRENGTHEN THE CORE
Strengthening your core can help prevent injury and is a sign of good overall health, says performance coach Arj Thiruchelvam. He recommends the following exercises to engage different abdominal muscles and strengthen your core.
The 90º Static Hold
This is a difficult exercise where you lie on your back and raise your knees to a 90º angle while placing your hands on your knees. The goal is to push into your knees with as much force as possible while your legs resist. You want to create a balance where no movement occurs. Be sure to use as much force as you can. Do three sets, holding each one for 20 seconds.
Dead bugs
Start this exercise by lying on your back with your knees in the air and bent at a 90 degree angle so your lower legs are parallel to the floor. Your arms should be pointing up to the ceiling.
Lower one leg to the floor and one arm over your head, both hovering just above the ground. Return to the original position, then repeat with the other leg and arm.
Ensure your lower back is pressed against the floor throughout the exercise and perform three sets of thirty seconds.
Barbell Oblique Crunches
Stand with a barbell across your back muscles and perform a standing side crunch, alternating sides. As you become more confident, you can crunch lower and increase the weight of the barbell. Make sure to keep your back straight to avoid injury. Do three sets of 16 repetitions.
HOW MANY TIMES A WEEK SHOULD I DO CORE EXERCISES?
Opper says that typically, people should do core-strengthening exercises two to three times a week, although this may need to be increased or decreased depending on the person's individual circumstances. If a person is already doing a resistance training program that includes a variety of compound movements, they may not need to set aside a specific session for core work. Instead, they can do core exercises at the end of their workout as a finisher, or between sets of other exercises, which also has the added benefit of helping the person to stay aware of their core throughout the session.
According to exercise physiologist Hayley Edwards, the deepest muscle layer in the abdomen is the transversus abdominis. This muscle provides stabilization for the spine and protects the internal organs. The next layer is the rectus abdominis which spans from the ribcage to the pelvic bone and allows for flexion. On the outer sides of the abdomen are the external and internal oblique muscles. The final layer is the pyramidalis which sits on the pelvis and supports the pubic bone and other abdominal muscles.
Focusing on the core of the body has been an ancient idea to promote strength and good health. This is done in practices such as yoga, Pilates, and martial arts such as tai chi. The trunk, where the kinetic chains come together, is the foundation for your posture, balance, and coordinated movement.
The muscles of your trunk—your core—can be strengthened and trained to contract in the proper order to give you this stable foundation for movement. The benefits may include:
- The strong, healthy feeling that comes from good posture.
- Confidence from strength and good balance.
- Greater strength and power for your activities.
- Less chance of injury.
- Decrease in, or prevention of, low back pain.
Final Thoughts
A stable core is important for preventing injuries and also for enhancing performance in sports and other activities. Instead of worrying about training specific muscles, think about how the body moves and how to challenge the core from bending and twisting too much in any direction. A neutral spine throughout the duration of the exercises is critical to executing them correctly and safely.
It's best to increase reps as strength improves for the muscles in the core since they are built for endurance. It's recommended to work with a fitness professional to help ensure safety and proper technique to develop a core stability program that will deliver positive results.
