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The importance of strengthening your core

Your core muscles are the central link in a chain connecting your upper and lower body. Whether you’re hitting a golf ball or going for a jog, the required actions either originate in your core, or move through it.

No matter where action starts, it moves upward and downward to adjoining links of the chain. Therefore weak or inflexible core muscles can impair how well you move and can reduce power from many of the moves you make. Properly building up your core can improve your power. A strong core also improves balance and stability.

Thus, it can help prevent falls and injuries during sports or other activities. In fact, a strong, flexible core underpins almost everything you do:
♥ Everyday actions: Bending to put on shoes or to pick something up, turning to look behind you, sitting in a chair, or simply standing still. These are a few examples of the many mundane actions that rely on your core and that you might not notice until they become difficult or painful.

♥ Physical tasks: Jobs that involve lifting, twisting, and standing all rely on core muscles. But less obvious tasks, like sitting at your desk for hours, engage your core as well.

♥ A healthy back. Low back pain, a debilitating problem affecting four out of five adults at some point in their lives, may be prevented by exercises that promote well-balanced, resilient core muscles.

♥ Sports: Golf, tennis, rowing and many other sports are powered by a strong core.

♥ Balance and stability: Your core stabilises your body, allowing you to move in any direction, even on the bumpiest terrain, or stand in one spot without losing your balance. Viewed this way, core exercises can lessen your risk of falling.

♥ Good posture: Weak core muscles contribute to slouching. More importantly, it reduces wear and tear on the spine and allows you to breathe deeply. Good posture also allows you to enjoy the full benefits from the effort you put into exercising.

Weak, tight, or unbalanced core muscles can undermine you in any of these areas.

Finally, while it’s important to build a strong core, it’s equally important to train the muscles of the back and hip. Over-training abdominal muscles at the expense of the muscles of the back and hip can set you up for injuries and adversely impact athletic performance.

If you would like any help with core strengthening exercises, then please get in touch. My email is adam.turner@roehamptonclub.co.uk

Adam Turner | Personal Trainer and Instructor