subject: What is core stability? [print this page] What is core stability? What is core stability?
Core stability is a term that has become more and more used over the past ten to twenty years, there are now even core stability classes at most leisure and health centres across the country. But what does it really mean? And how can core stability help in our exercise routines, as well as day-to-day health?
Core stability refers to the body's ability to stabilise itself during movement. During day-to-day movement skeletal muscles (those we have voluntary control over rather than say, the heart, or the muscles of the digestive tract) either act as stabilizing muscles or muscles of movement. As your torso, or mid-section, is the core' of your body, its success as a stable platform is referred to as core stability. Core stability is mainly involved with strengthening these stabilizing muscles which include: muscles of the stomach, diaphragm, lower back and pelvis.
Stabilizing muscles tend to be situated deep within the body. When these muscles are under-used, the nerve impulses find it more difficult to get through to these muscles, which is why it is important to make sure the core stability muscles are strengthened and remain strong. Whenever a person moves, whether this is while undertaking exercise or even just an everyday activity such as putting out the washing, the core is the part that is tensed first. Most of the time we are completely unaware that we are using our core muscles, but if you are to take a minute to tune into your body, or even place your hand on your stomach (or the relevant core muscle) before you move, you will often feel the muscles tense before the movement. Keeping the core muscles in shape, through classes and regular stretches, means all other forms of movement, from everyday activities, to undertaking your favourite sports are easier, and you are less likely to injure yourself. It is also cited that retaining core stability can reduce back pain and improve postural imbalances.
Core stability can be built through bracing and stabilizing exercises (particularly through using equipment such as a stability balls, medicine balls, kettlebells and wobble boards), and through classes such as core stability, yoga, Pilates and Taiji Quan (a Chinese martial art).
There are many muscles that make up our core stability set' (for those keen to see these it might be worth picking up/looking at some clearly illustrated anatomy books) but some of the main muscles include:
- External obliques (abdominal muscles situated on the sides of the abdomen, running downward and inward from the bottom of the ribs to the pelvis, that help you move from side to side)
- Diaphragm (a sheet' of muscle running across the bottom of the rib cage, helps you to breath)
- Internal obliques (lies underneath the external obliques and aides diaphragm, as well as helping us move from side to side)
- Transversus abdominis (deep abdominal muscle, provides back and pelvic stability)
- Latissimus dorsi (runs diagonally down the back on both sides, is the biggest muscles in the back and helps with various movement and stability)
