Posts Tagged ‘Core Stability’
Forget about crunches, sit ups, or leg raises. The drawing-in maneuver to engage the transversus abdominus is the most important core exercise to master if you want to develop core stability.
If you’ve never heard of the transversus abdominus I wouldn’t be surprised. It the deepest of the abdominal muscles and so you can’t see it. As its name implies, it runs across the abdomen. It is often referred to as your natural girdle because it’s only job is to brace your lower back and pull in your belly button, like a girdle.
Why is targeting the Transverse Abdominus so important?
A group of physiotherapists in Australia studied back pain by looking at muscle coordination patterns. They wanted to see if there were difference between people with no lower back pain and those with chronic lower back pain. What they found is that when healthy people with no lower back pain move their arms or legs the transverse abdominus is the first muscle to fire.
That’s right… If you move your arm, this core muscle contracts before your arm contracts. Your body is naturally wired to be stable around the center first before you can move.
In contrast, people with chronic lower back pain displayed an inability to contract the core muscles before the arm muscles. When you start to move before your spine is stable, more pressure is placed on the joints of the lower back.
This is one reason core training has become so popular. Core training can help to stabilize the pelvis and lower back while taking pressure off the spine.
The drawing-in maneuver is very easy to do. Simply pull in your belly button so that it moves towards your back. Hold for 10 seconds, relax and repeat 5-10 times.
This simple core exercise can help to improve your core stability and it’s the most important core exercise to master!
By: Charles A. Inniss, Jr. DPT
About the Author:
If you’ve never heard of the transversus abdominus I wouldn’t be surprised. It the deepest of the abdominal muscles and so you can’t see it. As its name implies, it runs across the abdomen. It is often referred to as your natural girdle because it’s only job is to brace your lower back and pull in your belly button, like a girdle.
Why is targeting the Transverse Abdominus so important?
A group of physiotherapists in Australia studied back pain by looking at muscle coordination patterns. They wanted to see if there were difference between people with no lower back pain and those with chronic lower back pain. What they found is that when healthy people with no lower back pain move their arms or legs the transverse abdominus is the first muscle to fire.
That’s right… If you move your arm, this core muscle contracts before your arm contracts. Your body is naturally wired to be stable around the center first before you can move.
In contrast, people with chronic lower back pain displayed an inability to contract the core muscles before the arm muscles. When you start to move before your spine is stable, more pressure is placed on the joints of the lower back.
This is one reason core training has become so popular. Core training can help to stabilize the pelvis and lower back while taking pressure off the spine.
The drawing-in maneuver is very easy to do. Simply pull in your belly button so that it moves towards your back. Hold for 10 seconds, relax and repeat 5-10 times.
This simple core exercise can help to improve your core stability and it’s the most important core exercise to master!
By: Charles A. Inniss, Jr. DPT
About the Author:
Charles A. Inniss, Jr. has a Doctorate Degree in Physical Therapy and is a Certified Personal Trainer. He is dedicated to helping people to live healthier happier lives.
Visit his website for Free Pictures of 100 Ab Exercises and Free Ab Workouts
Forget about crunches, sit ups, hanging leg raises, russian twists, or stability ball exercises. The drawing-in maneuver to engage the transversus abdominus is the most important core exercise to master if you want to develop core stability.
If you’ve never heard of the transversus abdominus I wouldn’t be surprised. It the deepest of the four anterior abdominal muscles and so you can’t see it. It lies underneath the rectus abdominus (the muscle that forms the 6 pack) and the external and internal oblique muscles.
As its name implies, it runs across the abdomen. It is often referred to as your internal weight belt or your natural girdle because its only job is to brace your lower back and pull in your belly button, like a girdle.
Why is targeting the Transverse Abdominus so important?
A group of physiotherapists in Australia studied back pain by looking at muscle coordination patterns. They wanted to see if there were difference between people with no lower back pain and those with chronic lower back pain. What they found is that when healthy people with no lower back pain move their arms or legs the transverse abdominus is the first muscle to fire.
That’s right! If you move your arms or legs, this core muscle contracts before your arm or leg muscles contract. Your body is naturally wired to be stable around the center first before you can move.
In contrast, people with chronic lower back pain displayed an inability to contract the core muscles before the arm and leg muscles. When you start to move before your spine is stable, more pressure is placed on the joints of the lower back.
This is one reason core training has become so popular. Core training can help to stabilize the pelvis and lower back while taking pressure off the spine.
When a personal trainer says to pull your abs in, they are often referring to drawing in and engaging the transverse abdominus.
You can focus on this muscle during all of your exercises. Maintaining good posture is a key to keeping your joints healthy.
The drawing-in maneuver is very easy to do. You can perform it while sitting in a chair, lying on the floor, standing, or even while balaning on your hands and knees in the quadreped poisition.
Simply pull in your belly button so that it moves towards your back. Hold for 10 seconds, relax and repeat 5-10 times.
This simple core exercise can help to improve your core stability and it’s the most important core exercise to master!
By: Charles Inniss
About the Author:
If you’ve never heard of the transversus abdominus I wouldn’t be surprised. It the deepest of the four anterior abdominal muscles and so you can’t see it. It lies underneath the rectus abdominus (the muscle that forms the 6 pack) and the external and internal oblique muscles.
As its name implies, it runs across the abdomen. It is often referred to as your internal weight belt or your natural girdle because its only job is to brace your lower back and pull in your belly button, like a girdle.
Why is targeting the Transverse Abdominus so important?
A group of physiotherapists in Australia studied back pain by looking at muscle coordination patterns. They wanted to see if there were difference between people with no lower back pain and those with chronic lower back pain. What they found is that when healthy people with no lower back pain move their arms or legs the transverse abdominus is the first muscle to fire.
That’s right! If you move your arms or legs, this core muscle contracts before your arm or leg muscles contract. Your body is naturally wired to be stable around the center first before you can move.
In contrast, people with chronic lower back pain displayed an inability to contract the core muscles before the arm and leg muscles. When you start to move before your spine is stable, more pressure is placed on the joints of the lower back.
This is one reason core training has become so popular. Core training can help to stabilize the pelvis and lower back while taking pressure off the spine.
When a personal trainer says to pull your abs in, they are often referring to drawing in and engaging the transverse abdominus.
You can focus on this muscle during all of your exercises. Maintaining good posture is a key to keeping your joints healthy.
The drawing-in maneuver is very easy to do. You can perform it while sitting in a chair, lying on the floor, standing, or even while balaning on your hands and knees in the quadreped poisition.
Simply pull in your belly button so that it moves towards your back. Hold for 10 seconds, relax and repeat 5-10 times.
This simple core exercise can help to improve your core stability and it’s the most important core exercise to master!
By: Charles Inniss
About the Author:
Dr. Charles A. Inniss, Jr. is a physical therapist and personal trainer.
Click the link to his website for free pictures and detailed descriptions of core exercises and free core workouts
Core training has become popular as a fitness philosophy because it is a great way to build a strong foundation. Here are 10 Core Exercise Tips.
Tip #1: Activate Your Abdominal Muscles
The abdominal muscles play a significant role in core stability. The deep abdominal muscles contract to stabilize the spine before the arms and legs can move. The drawing-in maneuver and the plank are great exercises to activate the deep abdominal muscles.
Tip #2: Strengthen Your Lower Back Muscles
The lower back muscles often get neglected in fitness programs, probably in part because of vanity. I’ve never heard someone say, “Do you know any good exercises to get ripped lower back muscles?” In fitness many people are focused on getting 6 pack abs and a flat stomach, and they are neglecting their back.
The back muscles are just as important as the abdominal muscles. If you want to have a strong core, you must have both strong abs and strong back muscles.
Tip #3: Learn to Engage the Pelvic Floor
The Pelvic Floor muscles are most popular when discussing sexual dysfunction or bladder control issues, but they are really important for stabilizing the pelvis lumbar spine. They actually work with the abdominals and back muscles. To engage the pelvic floor muscles you have to contract as if you were preventing yourself from going to the bathroom.
Tip #4: Do Balance Exercises
Balance Exercises are any exercise when you’re standing on 1 leg or when you are standing on an unstable surface. Your center of gravity shifts when you stand on one leg, so your core muscles must work harder to maintain your alignment. Balance Exercises are an important part of a core workout routine.
Tip #5: Strengthen your Scapular Muscles and Rotator Cuff
Your core is more than just your spine. Your core is your entire trunk and consists of the shoulder and scapular stabilizers. When your scapula is stable, you will be less likely to get shoulder injuries and you will perform at a higher level. Your core workout should include scapular and rotator cuff exercises.
Tip #6: Strengthen your Gluteus Maximus
The hip stabilizers are also part of the core. The glutes attach to the pelvis and control the position of the hips. When the glutes are weak or inefficient you will have a decrease in pelvic stability and hip stability. Bridges are a great exercise to strengthen the glutes an improve core stability.
Tip #7: Train for Stabilization and Endurance First
Core stabilization exercises are exercises in which there is little to no movement around the spine. When you begin a core program, it is important to first build a solid foundation of stability. If you focus on stability first, you’ll make greater improvements in strength and speed. The Plank is a great core stabilization exercise.
Tip #8: Train for Strength Second
Once you have a good base of stability, shift to building strength. Strength exercises challenge your abdominal and back muscles through a large range of motion. Crunches on a Swiss Ball and lower back extension on a machine are good strength exercises.
Tip #9: Train for Power and Speed Third
Once you have a base of stability and strength, you can more efficiently develop your speed. In addition, if you have a strong foundation, you will be less likely to get injured and your performance will improve more quickly. Power exercises are done in a fast and explosive way. Medicine ball throws and jumping exercises help to develop the power of your core muscles.
Tip #10: Play with Different Core Exercise Equipment
There are many tools that can enhance your core workout. The Exercise Ball, Reebok Core Board, and the Bosu Ball are all great tools that can challenge your coordination and balance. When you exercise on less stable surfaces, your core muscles work even harder to stabilize your body.
Well, I hope those tips help to give you some ideas about how to improve your core workout.
By: Charles A. Inniss, Jr. DPT
About the Author:
Tip #1: Activate Your Abdominal Muscles
The abdominal muscles play a significant role in core stability. The deep abdominal muscles contract to stabilize the spine before the arms and legs can move. The drawing-in maneuver and the plank are great exercises to activate the deep abdominal muscles.
Tip #2: Strengthen Your Lower Back Muscles
The lower back muscles often get neglected in fitness programs, probably in part because of vanity. I’ve never heard someone say, “Do you know any good exercises to get ripped lower back muscles?” In fitness many people are focused on getting 6 pack abs and a flat stomach, and they are neglecting their back.
The back muscles are just as important as the abdominal muscles. If you want to have a strong core, you must have both strong abs and strong back muscles.
Tip #3: Learn to Engage the Pelvic Floor
The Pelvic Floor muscles are most popular when discussing sexual dysfunction or bladder control issues, but they are really important for stabilizing the pelvis lumbar spine. They actually work with the abdominals and back muscles. To engage the pelvic floor muscles you have to contract as if you were preventing yourself from going to the bathroom.
Tip #4: Do Balance Exercises
Balance Exercises are any exercise when you’re standing on 1 leg or when you are standing on an unstable surface. Your center of gravity shifts when you stand on one leg, so your core muscles must work harder to maintain your alignment. Balance Exercises are an important part of a core workout routine.
Tip #5: Strengthen your Scapular Muscles and Rotator Cuff
Your core is more than just your spine. Your core is your entire trunk and consists of the shoulder and scapular stabilizers. When your scapula is stable, you will be less likely to get shoulder injuries and you will perform at a higher level. Your core workout should include scapular and rotator cuff exercises.
Tip #6: Strengthen your Gluteus Maximus
The hip stabilizers are also part of the core. The glutes attach to the pelvis and control the position of the hips. When the glutes are weak or inefficient you will have a decrease in pelvic stability and hip stability. Bridges are a great exercise to strengthen the glutes an improve core stability.
Tip #7: Train for Stabilization and Endurance First
Core stabilization exercises are exercises in which there is little to no movement around the spine. When you begin a core program, it is important to first build a solid foundation of stability. If you focus on stability first, you’ll make greater improvements in strength and speed. The Plank is a great core stabilization exercise.
Tip #8: Train for Strength Second
Once you have a good base of stability, shift to building strength. Strength exercises challenge your abdominal and back muscles through a large range of motion. Crunches on a Swiss Ball and lower back extension on a machine are good strength exercises.
Tip #9: Train for Power and Speed Third
Once you have a base of stability and strength, you can more efficiently develop your speed. In addition, if you have a strong foundation, you will be less likely to get injured and your performance will improve more quickly. Power exercises are done in a fast and explosive way. Medicine ball throws and jumping exercises help to develop the power of your core muscles.
Tip #10: Play with Different Core Exercise Equipment
There are many tools that can enhance your core workout. The Exercise Ball, Reebok Core Board, and the Bosu Ball are all great tools that can challenge your coordination and balance. When you exercise on less stable surfaces, your core muscles work even harder to stabilize your body.
Well, I hope those tips help to give you some ideas about how to improve your core workout.
By: Charles A. Inniss, Jr. DPT
About the Author:
Charles A. Inniss, Jr. has a Doctorate Degree in Physical Therapy and is a Certified Personal Trainer. He is dedicated to helping people to live healthier happier lives.
Visit his website for Free Pictures of 100 Ab Exercises and Free Ab Workouts
Ab balls are one of the most overlooked pieces of equipment within the gym. They get lost within the wild steel vegetation of compound machines, treadmills and massive weight moving monsters within the landscape of the screaming, panting and grunting. Not just a mantlepiece within the gym, ab balls, or swiss balls are the turnkey to an effective abdominal workout, a good complement and in some cases, compliment to anyone’s journey to a six pack. Here, today, I will share with you the 3 great benefits of ab ball exersices, and how they will change how you think about what a proper ab workout should be like.
Ab balls are bespoke machines, which means that they are built for a specialised purpose – toning and ripping up abs. It is the single mindedness nature of the ab ball is one of its most potent benefits. They are made to support the curvature of the back and give a full range of flexible motions; each aimed to attack multiple angles that can help define and shape even the most difficult and belligerent parts of the stomach. It isn’t just a toning and strengthening machine, an ab ball is a utility for a six pack. Ab balls also help to increase your core stability, meaning it trains you, whenever you use it to develop the core support structures of the body. This means greater balance and better form. I’ll give you an example – the squat, the dead-lift and heavy lunges are all examples of core exercises that help build up and strengthen core stability. The ab ball does this a lot better because it aims for the lead ship – the centre of the body.
Ab balls also help to penetrate deep within. Abdominal machines and crunches are great, but they don’t really go all the way to the different layers of ab muscles that we all have. Ab ball exercises like the sitting crunch and the raised ball crunch works the obliques, the upper and lower abs and deep inside, stressing the important parts of the stomach to squeeze out the fat and start toning the stomach area. One other thing, an ab ball isn’t a light weight. It can work up quite a sweat in anyone and will help in the overall weight loss mission. Besides shaping, toning and defining, ab balls also burn the calories – with a good half hour on an ab ball able to burn a hundred calories – as well as toughen up the midsection.
Furthermore, because of the nature of the ab ball, its exercises not only strengthen the abs, but the thighs, the arms the hamstrings, the lower back. More than 20 exercises of the ab ball lists more than 6 different other body parts as being worked out as hard or as secondary to the abdominals. With so many benefits of ab ball exercises, am surprised that there are many gyms in the world that still do not carry them as standard – but include other expensive and non important equipment that just become white elephants.
By: Liam Murphy
About the Author:
Ab balls are bespoke machines, which means that they are built for a specialised purpose – toning and ripping up abs. It is the single mindedness nature of the ab ball is one of its most potent benefits. They are made to support the curvature of the back and give a full range of flexible motions; each aimed to attack multiple angles that can help define and shape even the most difficult and belligerent parts of the stomach. It isn’t just a toning and strengthening machine, an ab ball is a utility for a six pack. Ab balls also help to increase your core stability, meaning it trains you, whenever you use it to develop the core support structures of the body. This means greater balance and better form. I’ll give you an example – the squat, the dead-lift and heavy lunges are all examples of core exercises that help build up and strengthen core stability. The ab ball does this a lot better because it aims for the lead ship – the centre of the body.
Ab balls also help to penetrate deep within. Abdominal machines and crunches are great, but they don’t really go all the way to the different layers of ab muscles that we all have. Ab ball exercises like the sitting crunch and the raised ball crunch works the obliques, the upper and lower abs and deep inside, stressing the important parts of the stomach to squeeze out the fat and start toning the stomach area. One other thing, an ab ball isn’t a light weight. It can work up quite a sweat in anyone and will help in the overall weight loss mission. Besides shaping, toning and defining, ab balls also burn the calories – with a good half hour on an ab ball able to burn a hundred calories – as well as toughen up the midsection.
Furthermore, because of the nature of the ab ball, its exercises not only strengthen the abs, but the thighs, the arms the hamstrings, the lower back. More than 20 exercises of the ab ball lists more than 6 different other body parts as being worked out as hard or as secondary to the abdominals. With so many benefits of ab ball exercises, am surprised that there are many gyms in the world that still do not carry them as standard – but include other expensive and non important equipment that just become white elephants.
By: Liam Murphy
About the Author:
Click Here Now to watch regularly updated videos of Free Online Workouts! Liam Murphy is a celebrated authority on Fitness Toning, providing muscle and fitness advice at http://www.shapeyourbodynow.com.
