My specialty with working in Physical Therapy as well as with Personal Training the past twenty-eight years has been in core strengthening with my patients and clients. A strong core is vital to all age groups and all occupations including young athletes to the elderly. The balance that comes from a strong core is essential to daily tasks and activities.
The core is the center of every movement that your body performs. Think of your core as the center to every movement that your body will do. The core initiates these movements and controls your stability. A weak core will affect how well your legs and arms will function in the task you’re performing. Increasing your core stability and strength will increase your balance and stability. This will help prevent falls as well as reduce injuries during sports and other activities throughout your daily life.
If you find yourself slouching in your chair at work and/or having back pain, this could be attributed to having weak core muscles. Slouching can increase the risk of back pain by putting pressure on the discs, potentially leading to disc issues and premature wear and tear of the spine. Low back pain affects 4 out of 5 Americans at some point throughout their lives. I see this with patients coming in for Physical Therapy on a daily basis who have low back pain. It is treated mainly by increasing core strength and in severe cases, additional interventions may be needed. Increasing the core will support the spine thus reducing stress on the spine and discs. As a result, you will have improved posture, decreased stress on the back, and improved breathing.
Your core is used with everything you do throughout the day including activities like bending, twisting, carrying items, using your arms, walking, running, and kicking. These are just a few examples to get you thinking about how important your core is for daily functionality. All sports or physical activities will require power generating through your core and will be delivered to your arms and legs. In summary, as you can see, having a strong core can and will affect everything you do. Next time you perform a daily household chore, think about engaging your chore. When you get out of bed in the morning, think about engaging your chore. While exercising, think about engaging your core. A strong and stable core is a MUST to function and excel as all the power and stability start at the core.