Workouts to Advance Your Core Strength

The body’s core muscles are the most crucial muscles to exercise in the body because they keep the body balanced , preventing injuries , and leads to good posture. The core muscles of the body include the abdominals, lower back, and pelvis.

Core strength exercises have been increasing in popularity over the last decade as people increase their all around fitness, not just massive bulk on their frame . Injury is often the result of the lack of core strength. When it comes to recovering from injuries, especially for sports people, athletes and fitness enthusiasts , physicians will suggest exercises to boost balance and stability. Which will help prevent future injuries .

Exercises that focus on the core muscles in the abdomen, lower back, and pelvis generally fall into three main groups:

• Exercises that focus on smaller, deep lying stabilizer muscles such as the transversus abdominis and multifidus
• Exercises that use an individual’s bodyweight to develop stability and strength endurance in certain postures, often requiring contraction of small stabilizing muscles and large mobilizing muscles at the same time.
• Dynamic strength routines that target traditional muscles in the trunk.

The actual number of core strength training exercises can seem endless. Core strength workouts exist that target the different areas of the abdomen , lower back, and pelvis, and they vary in level from simple exercises to more sophisticated options. For the sake of simplicity just a few basic, moderate, and advanced core exercises are listed below:

The Plank

Position your body on the floor, supported on your elbows/forearms and balls of your feet. Keep your abs contracted with the back, pelvis, and legs in a straight line. Hold the pose for 30 seconds, repeat three times. This basic maneuver builds lumbar and pelvic stability.

Active Straight Leg Raise

Lying on the floor with knees bent, slowly raise one leg and then the other, ensuring the abs are engaged and back is neutral. Slowly lower one leg as far as conceivable without arching the back, and raise it back up. Alternate you legs through 5-10 repetitions. This intermediate exercise that targets the major trunk muscles can progress to an advanced workout by lowering both legs at the same time.

Lying Windscreen Wipers

Lie on the floor with arms at your side. Raise legs straight up into the air until the hips are at a 90 degree angle. Keep your spine in a neutral position and lower both legs to one side, ensuring that the upper back and shoulders remain in contact with the floor. Go only as far as you can without compromising your posture and bring the legs back up to the middle. This advanced exercise targets the oblique muscles and trunk rotation.

Side Lying Hip Abduction

Begin by lying on the floor, ensuring the hips are stacked one on top of the other. Rolling your shoulders somewhat forward and engaging the abs controls the pelvis. Lift the top leg up and down in a controlled motion without allowing the hips to roll forward or back. Repeat 20-30 reps on each side. This basic exercise targets the gluteus medius and has proven helpful in preventing lower body injuries for female athletes in particular.

These are but a few of the many core exercises that help build deeper strength in the abs, lower back, and pelvis. There are other ways of strengthening the core muscles of the body other than just exercises in the home. Exercise regimens such as those conducted by Yoga or Pilates instructors provide a wide range of basic and advanced exercises that increase core strength. Other systems such as balance boards can be used in tandem with many exercises to increase their difficulty.

There are also excellent tools such as the Syco XT which operate solely based upon the strength of the core muscles. The Syco XT is a swing board and this type of exercise forces the core muscles of the body to work hard in order for the machine to work and in so doing the core muscles are targeted and exercised intensely. The most important subject to consider when determining a core strength workout regimen is variety and progression. Core strength exercises often become tedious exercises for many people because they do the same exercises over and over again each week. Be sure to choose a variety of workouts and try to perform different ones each day, starting over at the begining of each week. The other key is progression; don’t start with the most complicated exercises as your posture potential won’t support proper form during the exercises. The best approach would be to start basic and progress to more difficult workouts.

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