Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
com
http://www.thankyourbody.com/core-strengthening-exercises/
Last week I talked about why I really dont like doing crunches. (You can read that here). Not only are they
potentially dangerous, but they really are not effective for core training. But what exactly do I mean by core
strengthening? Maybe we should start there first.
What is core?
Depending on how you view the core, the particular muscles involved might vary. For some people, core is simple
another word used in place of abdominal. For these people, core training brings up images of hundreds of
crunches in hopes of achieving that glorious 6 pack. (Im sure you already know that by some people I dont
mean me.)
Because the core serves as a natural stabilizer for complex movement, other muscles that surround the spine and
connect to the pelvic floor become essential in core training. Thats why crunches arent necessarily doing anything
for true core strength. Its more than just our six-pack muscles that provide true core support. On top of muscular
strength, proprioception (a sense of ones own limbs in space) is another vital component in achieving stability and
balance.
1/11
Rectus Abdominis a long muscle that extends along the front of your abdomen. This is the six-pack part of
your abs that becomes visible with reduced body fat
Iliopsoas this muscles primary role is hip flexion, but because of its deep relationship to both the legs,
spine, and diaphragm it can help coordinate the core, especially when complex movement is involved.
Pelvic floor muscles primarily the levator ani, the coccygeus.
Multifidus which stabilizes a number of vertebrae in the spine.
Erector spinae including the longissimus thoracis also stabilize the spine.
Thoracic diaphragm which helps control breathing.
Dont worry if you dont fully understand or just dont care about the actual anatomy. For some they are useful to
help better understand the body. For others they just add more stuff to worry about and get in the way of holistic
movement. If knowing the muscles helps, great. If not let it go.
2/11
1. TA Flying: This experience will provide your TA the opportunity to engage and stabilize your whole body.
Position yourself on your hands and knees with your hands directly below your shoulder and your knees
right underneath your hips. Start by extending one leg back, being careful not to outwardly rotate the leg.
You should not feel your hips rotate or tip at all. Focus on the energy going out through the inside of your
leg. If you feel stable here, extend the opposite arm out, keeping the spine in a neutral position (make sure
the head isnt drooping down and crunching up.) Hold this position while taking a few deep breaths. Think of
your belly button reaching back and up towards your spine to help you stabilize. Repeat on other side up to
five repetitions each.
3/11
Proprioception Exercise
Proprioception from Latin proprius, meaning ones own, and perception is one of the human senses. Rather
than sensing external reality, proprioception is the sense of the orientation of ones limbs in space. This is distinct
from the sense of balance, which derives from the fluids in the inner ear. Proprioception is what police officers test
when they pull someone over and suspect drunkenness. Without proprioception, wed need to consciously watch
our feet to make sure that we stay upright while walking.
Both stability balls and balance discs help us train our core by creating unstable environments. Our muscles must
constantly shift and reorient their relationship to core, and our TA and other deep trunk muscles get a chance to
really shine as they commit to keeping us oriented in space.
4/11
1. Stability Ball: There are a lot of things you can do on a stability ball ( like this one) to help improve your core
support. Sitting on a ball at the desk, doing your normal ab work, or just improvising through large-range
movement can help improve your stability.
5/11
2. Balance Disc: These balance discs (like this one) are great to have at home. For beginners Id recommend
just standing on it. As your core becomes better engaged you can try one leg, eyes closed, bending the
knees, and move eventually move into full motion. Youll be amazed at how a few minutes each day can
greatly improve your balance over a period of just two weeks.
6/11
help us feel that deeply embedded muscle that provides an essential connection of legs to torso and breath to
pelvis.
7/11
2. Big X Opening and Closing: Start by lying on your back with your legs open and arms extended outward.
Be careful that you are not letting your shoulders sneak up around your neck. Take a deep breath in. As you
exhale wait until you feel that same tugging sensation from the hang and hollow and then allow all six limbs
(arms, legs, head, and tailbone) to close simultaneously into core until you lying on one side in the fetal
position. Take another deep breath in, and one the exhale allow all six limbs to open back up to the X. The
point of this experience is to feel the whole body connected to coreand to let core really be the initiator of
the movement.
8/11
Ready to take fitness, alignment, and exercise to the next level? Listen up.
As a Registered Somatic Movement Therapist I know how vital the right kind of movement is to our healthto our
very DNA. My ebook, Live Pain Free, provides an overview of the same movement approach I used while working
with individual clients. The 60 exercises youll find in my book will help you improve your mobility, reduce chronic
pain, and bring joy back to your movement.
Trust me, you cant afford to live with pain, and this guide will help you rediscover your bodys natural patterns in as
little as ten to fifteen minutes a day. Do your body a favor and click here to check it out.
9/11
10/11
11/11