Core stability

What is core stability?

For most of us, modern life has meant a steady reduction in manual labour and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. The muscle systems that help us to maintain good posture and movement have weakened by lack of use and exercise. In short we have reduced our "core stability".

The core muscles lie deep within the trunk of the body. They generally attach to the spine, pelvis and muscles that support the shoulder blade. They stabilise these areas to create a firm foundation for co-ordinated movement of the legs and arms. In ideal circumstances, the forces carried by the body should be in vertical line.

The abdominal muscles are the main focus of attention as they act like a corset, taking the pressure off the back and pulling all the other abdominal muscles into place.

A good way to feel where they are is to have a big laugh. The corset muscles are those that contract as you bellow. They include the muscles of your "six pack" (it is there, even if you can't see it) and the muscles that run up and down your back.

The fitness industry recognises the benefits of developing "core strength". Core training exercises aim to improve your posture and body alignment, the importance of which has long been a key component of Pilates, yoga and t'ai chi.

Core stability and everyday life

Core stability is also needed in everyday life: helping to keep you fit and to prevent injury when you are lugging those heavy shopping bags or doing the ironing.

Back pain is extremely common in the UK with about 8 in 10 people in the UK being affected at some time in their lives. Rises in back pain incidence have been linked to the sedentary lifestyle that many of us lead. Time spent hunched over the desk instead of getting out and about can mean that we don't pay enough attention to posture, and the muscles of those crucial corset muscles.

Core stability and sports

Good balance and overall muscular strength are involved in most sports. For example, in swimming, which you'd typically associate with strong arms and legs having a strong centre to your body helps you power through the water. Likewise, tennis - when you drive through a powerful hit, the muscles that help to stabilise and control your movement come from the "core" of your body.

There are some sports where good core stability is even more important. These include sports where you need very good balance, such as down-hill mountain biking and snowboarding. Contact or collision sports, such as hockey, football or rugby also emphasise core stability.

Developing core stability

You can improve your core stability by getting "in touch" with individual muscles and small groups of muscles that support your trunk, and by using these muscles more effectively.

In everyday life, this means developing an awareness of your sitting and standing posture. There are also many strengthening and stretching exercises and techniques that you can do to help your core muscles. There are several different types of exercise programme that will help you build up your core stability.

Exercises you can do at home

You can develop core stability without any special kit though. Here are some examples of core stability exercises that you can do to improve the muscles in your "trunk".

Standing balancing on one leg - by slowly swinging the other leg back and forth (as you might in full running action). Avoid rotating, twisting or dipping your pelvis. Once you have mastered this exercise, practice doing it with your eyes closed.
Practice forming a "back brace" - by tightening up the abdominal muscles. You can do this by
- pulling your belly button inwards without flattening your back
- then tightening your pelvic floor muscles
- then making sure that your breathing is relaxed while you are holding the brace
Lie on your stomach - then brace your back and lift opposite arms and legs/arms and legs on one side/all arms and legs at once. Make sure that your back does not arch at all during this movement.

Gym exercises and classes

There are also many pieces of equipment available in the gym that can help you to develop your core strength. These include gym/Swiss ball and the wobble/core board. An instructor can help you with exercises using these pieces of equipment.

Pilates

Pilates is an educational exercise technique designed to bring the body back into balance. The method has a holistic approach, aiming to make subtle differences to the way you stand, sit and walk over time

In order to do this, Pilates focuses on exercises that work the abdominal muscles, what Joseph Pilates called the "girdle of strength". Rather like yoga, Pilates will teach you small, highly controlled and co-ordinated movements. Pilates can be practised be anyone - from beginners to the highly trained ballet dancers. Joining in a Pilates class is a very good way to learn about core stability and developing core strength.

There is also a form of Pilates known as Rehabilitation Pilates designed to help you recover from certain injuries. You can visit the www.pilatesfoundation.com for more information about different methods.

Alexander technique and Feldenkrais method

The Alexander technique and the Feldenkrais method are both "body awareness" methods that teach students to use their core strength to control movement more accurately.

They look at how the simplest of bodily actions - sitting, standing, turning and breathing - can create habitual tension or prevent the body from moving with the efficiency for which it was designed. In both methods, the instructor will watch your overall movements, then start to re-educate you in how to use your body more efficiently.

These methods are used frequently among musicians who want to improve their musical performance by removing "blocks" in the way their body works. However, the method is suitable for everyone who wants to improve their bearing and use their body more efficiently.

Even if you try just one set of these exercises, or one class each week, it should help you to increase awareness of the way you move your body and strengthen your core muscles.