Core Stability

By Marie Perkins, TriCities Mobile Fitness

Core stabilization is a new buzz word in the world of fitness and rehabilitation. Core stabilization describes exercises that focus on improving the function of the muscles responsible for supporting the lower back and pelvis. The core stability muscles act like an internal belt for the lower back and pelvis. They are muscles that play a role in creating stability at various joints throughout the body, not just the core. Lack of stability at a joint can result in pain and movement dysfunction. Core stability exercises are commonly prescribed to athletes who suffer from reoccurring lower body injuries or people who experience back pain.

Learning how to properly train core stability muscles is not a task that can be done from reading a book or watching a video. A Kinesiologist can make this hands-on process simple by monitoring what muscles are being contracted as well as monitoring timing and intensity of the contraction. The first step in this process is to locate one of the core muscles; then one needs to know how to contract it appropriately. Once one is able to contract the isolated muscle properly in a static lying position, other movements can be performed simultaneously. Lastly, one should be able to sustain this contraction performing a functional movement such as running or lifting a box from the floor to waist height. This process is repeated for all of the core stability muscles. Ideally, one should be able to contract all of these core muscles while working out or performing activities of daily living.

Typically, core stabilization is not achieved solely by using an exercise ball or balance board. In fact, having this equipment is not crucial to performing core exercises. One needs to be consciously contracting their core muscles to get the full benefits of using of using the ball or balance board as a piece of fitness equipment. A Kinesiologist can show you how to use the equipment to perform core stability exercises.

From a sports perspective, adding core stability exercises to your routine would be beneficial, regardless of whether you suffer from low back pain or reoccurring sports injuries. Properly trained stability muscles will make your movements more efficient. Your body will compensate for the lack of core stability by distributing stress on the muscles of the extremities. This scenario will set you up for an injury with repetitive movements such as running or cycling.

Core stability is an essential part of reducing the likelihood of repetitive sports injuries and maximizing performance.

Marie Perkins is the owner of TriCities Mobile Fitness, a company that specializes in In-Home Personal Training. She teaches a Core Stability Clinic out of Tri 3 Sport in Port Moodys. Marie is a Registered Kinesiologist, BCRPA Weight Trainer and Can Fit Pro Pre and Postnatal Fitness Specialist. Visit www.tricitiesmobilefitness.com or www.tri3sports.ca for more information.