The Importance of Core Strength

When you think of core muscles, you may imagine a six-pack, but it is much more than that. Your core is made of three additional layers of muscles running in different directions to keep your trunk stable during almost everything you do. This is why it is important to maintain or even improve your core strength. Here are a few things your core does for you:

Maintain balance: One of the core’s jobs is keeping your center of gravity over your feet and gait aides. Two of the layers of muscles that are part of your core are in charge of bending your spine side to side. These muscles bring you back to center when you are leaning too far off to the side. With a weak core, a small gust of wind or a misstep can easily topple you over.

Posture: Much like how it helps with balance, your core helps you maintain posture by making sure you are upright. The core helps prevent strains to other muscles you would use to maintain upright when the core is weak. These muscles include the ones in your neck and back. As these muscles are not designed to carry such a heavy load, straining them can lead to long-term pain and headaches. The core, on the other hand, is designed to maintain your posture, so keeping it strong delegates the task to the correct muscles.

Reduced back pain: The core helps keep you from not only overusing your back but also from nervous and bony problems that may cause back pain. A weak core that fails to support the segments of the spine allows the bones to close off areas where nerves run through and can cause common issues like sciatica. Too much bone-on-bone action can also cause the bones to deteriorate due to prolonged friction and pressure. A good core helps the segments stay aligned and the nerve’s exit-ways open.

Support breathing: Try making a six-pack and taking a deep breath. Now, in a safe environment, try to take a breath with your belly completely relaxed. You should notice that it was much harder to breathe the second time when you were not using your core muscles. Your core helps regulate the pressure in your abdomen to make it easier to breathe. Parts of your core also attach to your ribs to help your diaphragm, the main muscle for breathing, work efficiently.¹

Enhance performance: If you are into sports, the core is crucial to your performance. It provides a steady anchor for when you swing your arm or kick your feet. Even if you are not an athlete, you still need your core to anchor you when performing day-to-day tasks such as reaching for the salt or opening a door. Without core strength or insufficient strength, things we do every day without thinking about become impossible.

The significance of core strength in our lives often goes overlooked, but this group of muscles is one of the most important muscles in our body. Thankfully, there are a plethora of ways to strengthen it that you can do standing, sitting, or even lying down. If you want to strengthen or maintain your core strength, talking to a physical therapist to make sure you are doing so safely and correctly is a great way to start. They can offer you exercises to incorporate into your daily routine and assess your strength. If balance is your main reason for strengthening your core, we offer a Live Your Life FALL FREE program to help you reach your goals. Get started today; these muscles are at the core of keeping you safe and pain-free.

Resources:

1. Cavaggioni L, Ongaro L, Zannin E, Iaia FM, Alberti G. Effects of different core exercises on respiratory parameters and abdominal strength. J Phys Ther Sci. 2015;27(10):3249-3253. doi:10.1589/jpts.27.3249