Core: know what it is and how to strengthen it – 01/03/2023 – Equilíbrio

To perform well in just about any sport, you need a strong core. This is obvious for rowing, golf and dancing, but it is also true for less obvious activities. It offers the stability needed to throw darts, for example, and the strength required to play table tennis.

A stronger core also makes everyday life easier, resulting in fewer injuries, better posture and balance, and less back pain.

However, experts say that most people get basic training wrong. In fact, the core is perhaps the least understood muscle group in the body — and core exercises are often the most dreaded part of a workout, what with the endless crunches and planks.

“Breaking this stigma of thinking you have to do a hundred sit-ups and that will make the back pain go away and strengthen your core — that’s the misconception,” says Jon Hernandez, physical therapist and associate athletic coach for the Los Angeles Rams football team. .

Here’s what the core is and isn’t, along with a complete workout to help strengthen it.

The core is more than your abs

If the goal of your basic workout is to come out with a sculpted six-pack, you’re wasting your time. In fact, the abdominal muscles are just one of the main muscle groups that make up the core. It includes the deep muscles of the pelvis, hips and back, plus smaller stabilizing muscles along the spine, and the diaphragm.

The core extends from the pelvis to the neck and wraps around the torso – the central part of the body that houses most of the internal organs.

Think of the core as a cylinder, says Brian Catania, a physical therapist at ChristianaCare Rehabilitation Services in Newark, Delaware. “It involves 360 degrees and all these muscles interact with each other in a systematic way.”

The core is your body’s energy source.

This is where forces transfer from your legs to your upper body, adding power to a tennis serve or allowing you to hit a softball out of bounds.

“You’re going to explode from your legs and spin, and the momentum has to go through your core. If you don’t have a strong core, you’ll lose strength and energy,” points out David Behm, professor and exercise scientist at Memorial University of Newfoundland ( Canada), which has been researching core fitness for 20 years.

Lifting a heavy box or a child requires not only core strength but endurance, he adds. If the musculae group is tired or weak, the ligaments in the back take over and can be strained, causing back pain.

The core also gives you stability

To improve their stamina, Sivan Fagan, a fitness instructor from Maryland (USA), asks her clients to do exercises like side planks, which work deep inner core muscles like the pelvic floor muscles, the transversus abdominis, the innermost abdominals that attach to the ribs, pelvis, spine, and the multifidus, an important set of back muscles that run along the spine and are critical to its stability.

When these muscles are strong enough, she says, the pressure of exertion (from lifting a suitcase or digging in the garden) is distributed throughout the core, which saves the spine from carrying too much load.

“You don’t want your lower back to do all the work,” says Fagan. “You want the core muscles to work together to stabilize the pelvis and spine.”

While people typically associate crunches with the core, Fagan points out that they only work the outer abs and none of the inner core muscles.

“The sit-ups don’t help with pressure distribution and core stability,” he says. “You can find people with a nice six-pack, but tell them to keep a board in good position and they won’t.”

Rotation exercises are key

One critical component that most basic routines lack is rotation, says Catania. Many athletic activities, including tennis, baseball and penalty kicks in the Premier League, involve rotating the body. The same goes for everyday movements like loading the dishwasher, walking and running.

It is the oblique muscles, which connect the lower ribcage to the pelvis on each side of the body, that rotate and flex the trunk and spine.

A small study conducted by Catania and Travis Ross, another physical therapist at ChristianaCare, found that core exercises that include rotation strengthen the obliques more than more traditional ones like sit-ups and planks. Rotation exercises also strengthen the multifidus, which is important because strength in these muscles protects against back injury, says Ross.

He and Catania designed a set of seven core rotation drills that Hernandez incorporated into the Rams’ pre-practice and pre-game training.

“What the rotation exercise allows you to do is build the foundation of your body, that deeper layer that you can’t necessarily see,” Hernandez points out. “I guarantee you’ll feel better, whether it’s less tension in your lower back or feeling more stable and resilient.”

Varying your routine also helps.

Basic exercises are hard work. You don’t have to hold a plank for very long for the burn to start spreading through your body. Plus, Hernandez points out, they can be boring.

But there are ways to work your core without actually doing a core workout, says Behm. For example, you can try high-intensity running.

In a small 2009 study conducted by Behm and his colleagues, researchers placed electrodes on participants’ key core muscles, such as the multifidus, obliques, and transverse abdominis. They then measured muscle activity during a 30-minute high-intensity run and while participants did sit-ups and planks. The researchers found that the intense activity activated the abdominal muscles in the same way as the targeted core exercises — and engaged the back muscles even more.

Squats, deadlifts and push-ups also work the muscle group like any exercise that requires balance, says Behm. Do your biceps curls while sitting on a yoga ball and you’ll be targeting the biceps and core.

And when all else fails and boredom strikes, embrace the distraction. Watch TV, listen to music or a podcast during basic training, he says. “Time will fly when you’re not focused on the pain of doing a plank.”

Some exercises to start

Board

The plank is a classic exercise that requires little coordination and no equipment (perhaps that’s why celebrities keep challenging Jimmy Fallon to do one). Lie facedown on the mat. Push your body up to balance on your elbows, forearms and toes. Keep your back and body straight and hips level and tuck your tailbone down slightly. Breathe. Start by holding the position for 10 seconds and work up to 60 seconds. (This pose works your abdominals, obliques, deltoids, pectorals, and triceps.)

move lying down

Lie on your back with your legs raised and knees bent at a 90 degree angle. Raise your arms so they are pointing towards the ceiling. Keeping your spine flat on the floor, extend your left leg and lower your right arm behind you until both are just above the floor, then return to starting position. Repeat with opposite arm and leg. Exhale as you extend and inhale as you return to the starting point, says Fagan. Start with two sets of five repetitions. Work up to three sets of eight repetitions. (This exercise works the transversus abdominis, rectus abdominis, obliques, and pelvic floor muscles.)

Carry a free weight

Grab a free weight (something that feels a little heavy for you) and hold it in one hand, keeping your body steady, your spine straight, and your shoulders and hips in line. March in place or walk for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat with the other hand. Do this three times on each side. (Works the transversus abdominis, obliques, multifidus, and forearms.)

do thoracic rotation

Lie on a mat on your left side with your legs bent and a pillow or ball between them. Squeeze the ball between your legs and rotate your upper body until your left arm points toward the ceiling and your right arm points toward the opposite wall. From that position, lift your shoulders off the mat. Lower and return to the starting position. Do this five times and repeat on the opposite side. Start with a set of five reps. Work up to two sets of eight repetitions. (The external obliques and abductors are the muscles worked.)

exercise on the floor

Lie on your back with your legs in the air and your knees bent at a 90 degree angle. Place your right hand on your left knee and your left hand on your right knee. Straighten and extend your right leg while extending your left arm behind you. Return to starting position. Do this five times and switch to the other side. Start with a set of five reps. Do up to two sets of eight repetitions. (Works the obliques, glutes, and abductors.)

jump

Milliseconds before you jump, the “anticipatory” muscles in your core activate to prepare your body for takeoff and landing. Add some vertical or lateral jumps to your workout. “It doesn’t have to be NBA-style vertical jumps, just little jumps,” says Behm. “You’ll use your core muscles to stabilize yourself.” (Jumping works the internal obliques, erector spinae, transversus abdominis, and the muscle groups that stabilize the vertebrae and pelvis.)

Translated by Luiz Roberto M. Gonçalves