The ability to maintain good posture, efficiency
of movement during activities of daily living
or sporting performance, is directly related to
the condition of the core muscles. Have you ever
seen an elite athlete with a potbelly?
To increase athletic ability or maintain the
functional health and integrity of the body, training
programmes must reflect and emphasise exercises
that effectively challenge, recruit and co-ordinate
muscles of the core. To many, the idea of the
core consists of the abdominals only; however
this is only one piece of the jigsaw. The core
consists of all the muscles that support the trunk,
they all work in synergy as part of an integrated
system that controls both static and dynamic posture
through multiple planes of movement. These include
the abdominals, posterior back muscles and the
muscles of the shoulder and pelvic girdles. The
core really is the centre of the body and is the
link between the arms and the legs. A well-conditioned
core allows efficient transfer of force from the
lower body to the upper body, thus maximising
muscular effort. This is important because force
likes to travel in a straight line. A person who
has a well-conditioned core will maintain optimal
alignment of working joints, thus keeping them
in an effective position for efficient force transfer.
People who exhibit a poorly conditioned core
either through sedentary lifestyle or improper
training will fail to effectively stabilise the
working joints. This means they will lose the
ability to maintain optimal alignment of joints
and both static and dynamic posture will be affected.
This subsequent altered body position will see
a loss of force transfer through to the extremities.
When this occurs, performance will ultimately
suffer and may result in injury.
When designing a core-training programme it is
important to look at the total function of the
muscles involved along with the specific needs
of the individual. Traditionally exercises have
been selected to challenge the core muscles in
isolation and in the role of mobilisers (muscles
that move the body) rather than that of stabilizers,
(muscles that fixate and direct force) such as
when performing a sit up from the floor. This
has little correlation with activities of daily
living or for athletic performance, where the
muscles of the core work as a functional unit
in multiple planes of movement at anyone time.
Furthermore, selecting exercises such as the sit-up
will not effectively increase intra-abdominal
pressure, an important mechanism for stabilising
the back during lifting. It is important to realise
that before the body can generate force, it has
to effectively stabilise the working joints. Considering
that all activities of daily life require the
body to effectively stabilise first before arm
and leg movements can occur, exercises need to
be selected that replicate this or mimic the exact
patterns of the individual’s associated activity
or sport.
Optimal posture is the structural basis of movement
and the core muscles serve to maintain good posture
throughout the day. The upper back muscles maintain
optimal head carriage and shoulder girdle positioning
and likewise the gluteals stabilise the pelvis.
Especially important are the deep abdominal muscles:
transverses abdominis and the internal oblique,
because of their intimate location on the body
they have a significant role in creating intra
abdominal pressure. These same muscles also aid
in stiffening and the stabilisation of the lumbar
spine through and important fascia system. To
emphasise increased activity from the core, exercises
should be chosen that challenge the body’s ability
to stabilise itself in multiple plans of movement.
This means moving from a stable environment, such
as a fixed path resistance machine to an unstable
environment, like standing up or using a stability
ball.
Using equipment such as a stability ball, cables
and pulleys, dumbbells, training the body unilaterally
(one side at a time) or even training on one leg,
significantly challenges the body’s ability to
recruit and co-ordinate the core muscles.
We all live in an environment that requires us
to be athletes and to perform in some form or
fashion throughout the day. Conditioning the core
along with improving posture has to be the number
one priority for any individual interested in
health and performance. All being well, getting
back to the basics such as squats, bent over rows,
dead lifts and lunges should be included, as long
as good form is maintained. These very exercises
replicate many movement patterns needed during
the work or sports environment and should form
the cornerstone to all training programmes.
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