5 Ways To Improve Core Strength for Martial Arts

5 Ways To Improve Core Strength for Martial Arts

Strength and power in martial arts are achieved not only by coordinating your body to complete a movement effectively, but also your core strength. Core strength is the power that emanates from your mid-section, the area that includes your abdominals and back. Completing a punch, kick, throw or grappling technique isn't only about the muscles in the limb or body part that's in contact with your opponent - a martial artist knows that it's also about the rest of your body supporting that movement.

And when you come right down to it, it's all about the core. Have a weak core, and you are at a higher risk of getting injured, particularly in your back.

Five ways you can improve your core strength for martial arts:

Perfect lunges. Keeping your back straight throughout the entire exercise, step one foot out in front of you, far enough that it bends to a right angle. Keep the back foot touching the floor. Sounds easy, right? Although lunges are normally performed with the goal of improving the leg muscles, they are also an excellent way to improve stabilizer muscles in the core. But this is only effective if perfect posture is maintained from beginning to end. Add weights to make it more difficult.

The Plank. This exercise is the favourite of pilates fanatics, because it really does work. The key to doing it well is to keep the back and butt flat, parallel to the floor. Raising it will simply make the exercise easier, which is not what you want to do. The Plank targets the stabilizer muscles.

Back extensions. The lower back is a common site of injury when the core is weak. To strengthen the area, back extensions are ideal. Lie flat on the floor and raise the head (with the hands behind the head or extended out in front of you) and the feet. Hold, then lower. To increase intensity, hold longer and pulse at the top, or put ankle weight on your feet. You can also do this exercise on a bench with a place that you can hook the feet on to, so that you're only raising the head and upper body.

Crunches on a swiss ball. Forget the floor - crunches on a swiss ball demand more from your muscles because you need to work on balance throughout the crunch.

Speed skater. Step side to side bending forward and placing one foot behind you as you do this and extending the same arm out in front of you. To increase intensity, jump instead of simply step. Keep your upper body bent over with your back flat, and bend the legs. Even though this sounds easy, it become increasingly difficult the more reps you do. You'll feel it in your core and your legs.

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