Time to talk Core Strength bloggers. When the muscles in the hip, shoulder girdle, and trunk are all working together, they form a functional segment called the core. The core muscles are the superficial and deep spinal extensors muscles, abdominal muscles, pelvic floor muscles, and shoulder girdle and hip girdle muscles.

It is well known that you rely on your body to get out of bed, to lift your children, to perform your job and to take you places everyday. Now, consider this: every movement you make originates in the core - whether you are reaching for your toothbrush or running a marathon. If the core is not properly conditioned it will limit your physical abilities.

Training the muscles of the core helps to correct postural imbalances that can lead to injuries. The biggest benefit of core training is to develop functional fitness. Functional fitness is essential to both daily living and regular activities. Body core exercises often imitate moves that we employ in daily life or sports and thus train the body to rely on the core and reduce the strain we put on our limbs. The main concepts of core strengthening programs involve using many muscles in a coordinated movement. Rather than isolating a specific joint as in most weight lifting, stability exercises focus on working the deep muscles of the entire torso at once.

Abdominal bracing is the main technique used during core exercise training. It refers to the contraction of the abdominal muscles. To correctly brace, you should attempt to pull your navel back in toward your spine. This action primarily recruits transverse abdominals. Be careful not to hold your breath – you should be able to breathe evenly while bracing.

Other exercises that develop core strength include exercises on a stability ball, work with medicine balls, wobble boards and Pilate’s exercise programs.

Are you including core exercises in your workout?