Why You Should Never Ignore Your Core

Why You Should Never Ignore Your Core

The core flat out gets more attention than any other area of the body, and for good reason.  It’s the center of your body.  All movements, both powerful and wimpy, involve the core in one way or another. 


Why You Must Work The Core
Uncommon to popular belief, this area consists of more than just the abs.  They are only one part.  The primary area of the core is made up of the rectus abdominis, inner and outer obliques, erector spinae, glutes and hamstrings.  The fact that this region encompasses such a large area is an indicator of its value.
If you were to ignore training the core, you can run through a battery of issues, such as lower back pain, postural distortions, poor sport performance and bad balance.  The postural distortions can range from rounded shoulders to excessive lower spine curvature to external foot rotation.  
Yes, your feet can actually get affected too. If your glutes are weak, they can cause the femurs to rotate outward.  This then transfers all the way down to the feet, causing the exact same thing to happen.  Have you ever walked behind someone who walks duck-footed?  Well now you know why. 
Getting up from a chair is just as important as walking.  Your core needs to be strong to keep your upper body erect while seated and when standing up.  This also applies to riding a bike.  If you have a weak core, you will not be able to stay upright for too long without experiencing scorching lower back pain.  
Force production is another thing to consider.  Let’s go back to the bike example.  It takes a lot of power to push hard when you are climbing a hill or opening it up on a straightaway.  If your core is mush, you will spend most of this time struggling miserably.  Your will also be challenged with a lack of stability. 
The power aspect doesn’t end with biking either.  Contact sports like football, mixed martial arts, ice hockey and even basketball require you to take and make hits, fend off opponents and remain balanced at all times.  If you neglect your core, don’t expect to win any trophies or titles. 
Baseball, tennis, racquetball, golf, volleyball and swimming all require strong core muscles as well.  Any time you are rotating from the hips, jumping in the air, throwing a ball or object, or reaching with your arms or legs, you need to enlist at least some part of your core.  Think about that the next time you place a box of Christmas ornaments on a high shelf in your basement. 
It’s only fitting that you know a good way to strengthen your core so you can avoid a lot of the pitfalls mentioned above.  And just for the record, ab crunches are not going to get the job done.  In reality, they are about one millimeter away from worthless.  The only muscle group they target is the rectus abdominis.  You still have the obliques, glutes, erector spinae and hamstrings to contend with.
Best Core Exercises
Keep ALL of these areas in mind when it comes to training. 
Perform your crunches, but, also add:
• Plank with leg raises • Alternating supermans • Squats • Stiff-leg deadlifts • Hanging knee raises • Medicine ball Russian twists • Side dips
This way you will get movement patterns in that simulate real life actions and you will ensure that all areas of your core will be targeted. 
As you can see, there are many good reasons to keep your core strong, fit and fantastic.  Focus on the right training protocols and you will never have to worry about injury or imbalances. 

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