Core Strength and Not hurting your back

Today I'd like to write about 'the core' in regards to your body and your movement patterns.  A lot of misinformation exists out there and the point I'd like to make today is why it's necessary to strengthen the core with a neutral spine as opposed to through movements like flexion and extension (aka sit ups and back extensions).

What is the core?

Inner Core Anatomy

The core is the surrounding musculature of your torso.  It's literally all 360 degrees of the torso; your front abs, side abs, and back muscles.  Now I'd like to differentiate between inner core and outer core.  Your inner core consists of mostly smaller deep spinal stabilizers.  The outer core consists of bigger muscles like the obliques, rectus abdominus, the lats, the glutes, etc  The muscles you typically think of as core (except that you don't typically think of it in a 360 degree frame).

When scientists study the core, what they find is that the first muscles to fire during any movement are the inner core muscles, then the outer core muscles, then the extremities.   The inner core creates increased pressure in the abdominal cavity which provides stability to our spine, pelvis,etc.  So the core's effectiveness is really more about timing than strength.  What we see during faulty movement patters, i.e. people in pain, people with very poor flexibility, or people with poor stability, is that the order of muscle firing gets altered.  Instead of creating interabdominal pressure(the purpose of the core) with the inner core, we create it with the outer core and extremities.  That makes the extremities overly tight and not as flexible, resulting in compensations and movements that add too much pressure to your body.

SO CORE STABILITY IS MORE ABOUT TIMING THAN STRENGTH.  WHICH MUSCLES TURNS ON AT THE RIGHT TIME IS WHAT CORE STABILITY IS.

Sit Ups and Back Extensions
They've done studies where they measure the pressure within the discs in your back.  Pressure is what leads to wear and tear and injuries.  The pressure drastically increases during flexion (bending the torso forward) and extension (bending the torso backward).  What does this mean?  Sit ups are bad for your back!  People always try to do a lot of abs when they have back pain.  Well you're doing more harm than good.  A lot of times it's the same with back extensions as well.  We'd do better to strengthen the core without increasing discs pressure by concentration on neutral spine exercises.

Neutral Spine Exercises
In the rehab setting, we start pain patients off on the low end with neutral spine exercises like:
-Cross Crawl
-Planks
-Side Planks
-Rolling Planks

Cross Crawl

Plank

Single Leg Briding

then we progress them to high end exercises like:
-Deadlift
-Kettlebell Swings

Deadlifting with a nice neutral spine which will activate his core and utilize his hips during the movement

The point is the core isn't what everyone thinks it is.  The way to train the core is to concentrate on proper form and alignment during exercises.  You shouldn't have to think about activating your core to do so.  It should automatically happen when you keep proper form during any movement.

To get your own core strength/stability evaluation call me at 561.997.8898 or email me at drscotthoar@gmail.com in the Boca Raton, Fl area. To check out more visit www.Mobility-4Life.com