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What is Core Training?

Anna B. Smith
Anna B. Smith

Core training refers to exercises that specifically target the muscle groups located around the abdomen, spine, and pelvic areas. These are typically done to increase strength and flexibility throughout the body. These muscles, when targeted during workouts, also provide a strong foundation for improved movement across the rest of the body.

Exercises that target the core primarily benefit the body by stabilizing and strengthening the body’s foundation for movement. The muscles typically exercised during core workout routines are the rectus abdominis, the erector spinae, the external and internal obliques, the transverse abdominis, and the hip flexors. Different routines may include additional core muscles to stretch and strengthen. A core muscle may be found anywhere between the neck and shoulder area, as well as running along the length of the torso, and down through the upper thighs. These muscles support the majority of the body’s weight during movement and protect the spinal cord.

An anatomical illustration showing many muscles in the upper body, including the abdominal muscles.
An anatomical illustration showing many muscles in the upper body, including the abdominal muscles.

This type of training can improve posture and alleviate back pain. Strengthening the abdominal muscles allows the body to pull and support its weight evenly throughout the core. An inappropriate distribution of weight leads to a sway-back type posture, in which the body’s weight pulls the muscles forward, the abdominals fail to support the weight adequately, and the back is pulled out of alignment. This can create both bad posture and back pain for affected individuals.

The core is also the body's center for energy and movement. Strong movements in the limbs begin by drawing strength from it. Athletes may improve their overall performance by adapting their workout routines to regularly target core muscles.

Baseball players can benefit from core training.
Baseball players can benefit from core training.

The increased stability provided by a strong core may lead to increased accuracy, speed, and strength in movements that depend heavily on the arms and legs. For instance, football, basketball, baseball, and hockey players require the use of strong core muscles to change direction quickly during play, and to throw a ball into a specific area of a playing field with a high degree of precision. Runners also depend on their cores to prevent joint exertion during marathons, and to distribute body weight evenly, to avoid tiring their legs and backs quickly.

Core exercises focus on muscular endurance rather than power.
Core exercises focus on muscular endurance rather than power.

There are many pieces of exercise equipment available that can assist in core training. Some of the more popular ones include stability, bosu, and medicine balls, as well as resistance bands. Inflated stability balls may be used to challenge the body’s ability to balance. A variety of ab exercises can be performed on them, including crunches, which can engage the transverse abdominis to a higher degree than when these movements are performed on the floor. This often strengthens both the front and back muscles of the core, and allows for a greater range of movement.

Yoga can be a good form of core training.
Yoga can be a good form of core training.

Bosu balls are inflated half-spheres, typically placed on the floor during exercise. They also challenge the body’s balance. Bosu exercises include a variety of movements that generally involve stepping onto and off of the half-sphere in different directions, to force the core to remain engaged and hold the body upright. Medicine balls and resistance bands both involve placing weight or counter-pressure on the extremities, to encourage the body to pull energy from the core into those targeted areas.

Pilates and yoga are usually excellent sources of core training exercises that do not involve separate exercise equipment. They typically include a variety of postures that, when held or pulsed for a specific period of time, target certain core muscles and provide increased strength and flexibility. Plank exercises may be performed during core training, and involve raising the body off the floor with the arms only, maintaining a perfectly straight torso, and holding the position for several seconds.

Variations on the plank pose include alternating between the right and left arms, raising the right or left leg with the opposite arm, and placing the arms on an inclined surface. Each of these shifts the body’s center of gravity and challenges different trunk muscles. Many core training workouts are available, both on the Internet and through accredited exercise DVDs, that show the plank and other, similar core-challenging exercises.

Discussion Comments

bythewell

@MrsPramm - I find just using my core training ball to sit on rather than using a chair helps me to stay in shape. I guess it works because you're constantly having to make little adjustments in order to keep your balance. But it's not difficult and it's not something you need to think about, either.

MrsPramm

@browncoat - Just be careful if you don't have a professional to show you the rope, because core fitness training can be done badly and you can end up hurting your back.

That's one of the reasons people aren't told to do sit-ups these days. It was just too easy to injure the tendons and strain the back rather than work out the muscles in the stomach that you are aiming for. Crunches are better, but they can still work too much on the artificial muscles at the top of the stomach, rather than the obliques on the sides.

A crossover crunch is probably the easiest way to deal with it for a learner, but there are a variety of different exercises out there depending on what kind of equipment you have. Do a bit of research before you get started so you don't do yourself any harm.

browncoat

If you do nothing except core training you are still doing a lot to improve your health and wellbeing. People don't realize that back problems are usually more to do with weak stomach muscles than with the back itself. If you take care of your core it helps with almost every kind of movement you make during the day.

It's one of the best ways to improve your posture as well. Core stability training doesn't even take that long if you do it the right way.

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    • An anatomical illustration showing many muscles in the upper body, including the abdominal muscles.
      By: mikiradic
      An anatomical illustration showing many muscles in the upper body, including the abdominal muscles.
    • Baseball players can benefit from core training.
      By: llandrea
      Baseball players can benefit from core training.
    • Core exercises focus on muscular endurance rather than power.
      By: Halfpoint
      Core exercises focus on muscular endurance rather than power.
    • Yoga can be a good form of core training.
      By: sanneberg
      Yoga can be a good form of core training.