No matter what the action may be, your “core” is a solid and basic center of all action. Whether you’re throwing a baseball or sweeping a floor, the motions required to perform any movement either begin in or run through your body’s “core.” If your center is weak, havoc is bound to happen. Basically your core must be strong and reliable and it’s up to you to make it that way. Creating a stronger core will not only give you more function in your limbs and body, but it will enhance your stability and balance.
What every day things in life does your body core have an affect upon? Let’s take a look… There isn’t a single sporting activity that doesn’t depend upon your body’s core for strength, balance, and agility. Playing racquetball, tennis, swimming, golfing, fishing, jogging, weight lifting, walking, basketball, volleyball, and any other type of sport you can think of all depend upon having a strong body core.
- Everyday Movements – Simple movements such as tying your shoelaces, picking up your groceries, turning to view out of the back window in your car when driving, sitting down in a chair, standing or even picking up your child all depend upon the strength of your core. The weaker your core the more painful these acts can become. In the same concept, the stronger your core the easier these movements and everyday tasks can be done, without even thinking about it.
- Work/Job Tasks – Obviously any job you perform will depend upon the strength of your body core but there are some jobs which depend more upon its strength than others. Jobs that require lifting, bending, standing for long periods or even sitting and twisting in a chair for many hours can all be inhibited by a weak body core.
- Balance and Stability – Because your core is truly the “center” of your body, and maintains your body’s upper and lower extremities and spine, it’s also used to keep your body in balance and stabilized.
- A Healthy Back – Back pain is one of the worst pains a person can experience and four out of five people will experience back pain at some point in their lifetime. Low back pain can often be excruciating and extremely debilitating. Core strengthening can actually help alleviate the intensity of back pain.
- Gardening and Housework – Simple tasks like vacuuming, mopping a floor and making a bed all utilize the strength of your core. Doing home repairs, bending, lifting, plunging a drain, or even something as simple as lifting dishes into a cupboard all come from or go through the core of the body.
- Posture – Having a weak core can actually create poor posture, which in turn creates back pain. Sitting properly and straight can keep you from tiring or becoming achy, especially when you are required to sit for any length of time. Having a strong core to begin with can definitely help. Having a weak core can also cause you to slouch, both when walking and sitting.
You can truly see from the minimal listing above that the core plays a vital part in keeping oneself strong and able to live a fairly normal life without pain. However, you have to also know that strengthening your core takes the proper exercise routine to create the strength in the correct way. Having an overly strong abdominal area, which many people tend to go for those 6-pack abs, can also mean ignoring other vital areas around the core, including back muscles, leg muscles and hip muscles. If you do not properly train and strengthen your core correctly by not only utilizing the right techniques but the proper routine, you can create even more issues and ailments. Proper diet and exercise can also create a strong core and therefore create a better lifestyle all around.
Physical Therapy For Your Core
It is not as hard to build core strength and stabilization as you may think. You don’t need any specialized equipment to target the core muscles. All you need is a good physical therapist. Your physical therapist will be able to not only create the best exercise routine for you, but will also be able to monitor your progress. Our staff is highly trained in identifying muscle imbalances and weaknesses, and this information is used to craft an individualized program based on your preferences and goals.
Call us today to see how we can make your daily activities easier by facilitating the strength of your core muscles. We look forward to showing you what physical therapy can do for your core.