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Jan 17, 2019

Why Core Exercises Are So Important?

Core exercises can make you stronger and healthier

Most people do not realize that core exercises are not just necessary for people who need to undertake physical tasks through their days. It is as important for the office-goer with the eight-hour desk job, as it is for the athlete who makes physical exercise to remain competitive.

A large part of the population reports spine and back-related problems with no apparent causes. Just having a healthy diet is not enough, unfortunately. A great majority of musculoskeletal problems in the population are the result of the daily grind. That is to say, they are caused by the repetitive stress, both physical and emotional, of the routine, and the desk job.

It is also apparent that it is exceptionally difficult to take out time from this routine in order to take care of your body. This very reason is what makes it so undoubtedly important. A healthy body is both cause and effect of a healthy mind. Many of the common physical problems of our lives can be prevented by understanding your body better and giving it its due exercise.

Why spend time and energy on core exercises?

A big majority of people who come into the gym are rather obsessed with the idea of securing a set of abs. The abs, as mentioned above, are not just one large muscle, but a series or complex muscles. These muscles make up most of the torso of the human body. Due to a lot of stigmas around body image, brought by a lot of cultural and recent representations, and by the media we all digest. People even seek to exercise for the glamour of it. This is not a problem at all, it is just one of the myriad reasons you should spend your time on core exercises. Some of that reason include the following.

Core exercises help avert injuries:

The core undertakes much of your movement. The stronger it is, the better your body will be able to function and protect itself from injuries.

Core exercises make you feel better:

Exercising makes you feel good about yourself, and like the way you look makes you happier in your dealings with life and people.

Exercising produces endorphins in your brain that are the principal chemicals that make you happy.

Core exercises reduce the chances of spinal injuries:

Core exercises balance your spine and give you good posture and a straight torso. Bad posture is one of the most common causes of chronic back pain. Core exercise assists in the reduction of similar of repetitive-stress related injuries and other maladies.

Core exercises help protect your nervous system:

The spinal column in intricately connected to your central nervous system. The stronger your core, the stronger its ability to protect the spine and your fundamental body functions.

What is the core of the human body?

The core relates to a group of muscles in the body that are tasked with the daily workings of the human body. This complex set of muscles includes almost everything. However, it does not include your arms and legs and extends far beyond your abdominal muscle. That goes to say, it is more than just your abs. Your spine, torso, and the pelvis region are made up of these muscles.

The word “core” itself suggests something important, and fundamental. It is a foundation upon with the equilibrium and steadiness of the human body rests.

The important tasks of the core muscles

Since the core muscles make up such a large system in the body, their task is to protect the entire spinal column. That is your back, starting from your tailbone to your neck. The core is tasked with the stability and strength of your whole body. It is included in almost all of the actions the body undertakes. From getting out of the bed in the morning to doing a bench press, the core is involved in and responsible for a majority of your movement.

Charged with the balance of the body, and the support of the spinal column, it is necessary to understand the significance of a healthy core. A healthy core assists in every movement undertaken by the complex system that is the human body. So much of the world suffers from problems related to the spine, that it is crucial we understand that the core can contribute to a lot of ease in our daily lives.

Different kinds of core exercises

A large variety of core exercises exist, ranging from simple movements that take up no more than twenty minutes every morning, to hitting the gym for a couple of hours.

In either case, it cannot be doubted or contested that strengthening your core is actually synonymous with strengthening your entire body.

This wide range of core exercises exists to target different parts of the body. Understanding what kind of strength your body needs to build is detrimental to the exercise you should invest in. Crunches, Pilates, planks, sit-ups, push-ups, and squats are all part of the exercise system that works directly at the core. It will not surprise you to know the names of some of these already.

Choosing the right core exercises for you

With such an alarming lack of exercise in the population, it is certain that the entire hardship of exercising be demystified and made common. Another problem that is common in the decision to take up core exercises is not understanding which ones are important for you. Moreover, which exercises would benefit you the most? Most people go to gyms and spend time on several of the machines there, not understanding exactly how they are affecting their body.

Getting help about these matters with thorough research or via an expert will never be a waste of your resources. Physiotherapy clinics have people whose main task is finding out the right core training for your specific case.

Our physiotherapy clinic in Burlington offers the service of getting you to move again, so you can live better, and also allow you attain a more meaningful, orderly life.


Shree Solanki — Registered Physiotherapist

Written By

Shree Solanki

Registered Physiotherapist, BSc.PT

Member of the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario

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