The core? What’s that? Well, in general, your core is the mid-section of your body, usually referred to as your trunk or abdominals. It’s the area ranging from your hips to your shoulder blades, often forgotten about, but extremely important for most movements. That’s because your core connects everything together. And has the additional job of keeping your spine protected and healthy. The core is like the central station of the body, it helps direct force and muscle activation in all directions, and when not working well, leads to problems throughout the system.
Now that we know what the core is, the next question is how do we strengthen this area? This is where you can get creative, coming up with a routine and plan that is right for you. Exercises like planks and crunches are probably more widely known core exercises. There are a countless number of others to incorporate. The main thing to remember is that the core works in multiple planes of motion, so it is important to strengthen the core in all of these planes too. Starting in a plane that is pain free is the best option, then branch out into others as tolerated. Begin with low repetitions and work into higher numbers as able.
Another thing to consider when exercising the core is mobility. If you are taking the time to strengthen the middle section, you should take the time to make sure the areas above and below are moving well. This means your upper back/shoulders and hips. Doing some stretches of these areas prior to working out your core, would be beneficial. Contact FPC to schedule an appointment. Happy exercising!
Stretches For Your Core
You can do 2-3 sets, 10-20 reps of each of the following stretches.
