Inclease Athletic Performance: Benefits of a Stable Core
As you swing a bat or golf club, lift and carry groceries from the car or push the vacuum across the carpet, these movements originate in or involve your core. Most people believe their core involves only their abdominals, but your core includes your pelvic muscles, hip muscles and lower and mid back muscles. These central “core” muscles work in combination to support your spine and skull and allow your body to rotate.
The power you generate to stand from sitting, to throw a ball or to push or pull or hold your body up begins in your core. A strong and stable core also improves your balance and stability and helps prevent falls and injuries. A strong and stable core supports almost everything you do and provides numerous benefits!
Reduces back pain.
People with weak and unstable core muscles have a higher incidence of back ache and injury as they lack adequate spinal support. Core-strengthening programs can help reduce pain, improve flexibility and mobility and improve spinal support for those with both acute and chronic back pain.
Improved posture.
A core-strengthening program strengthens muscles from your hips to the base of your skull and will help you stand taller, eliminate slouching, and correct imbalances and put your limbs back in alignment. This improved posture reduces your risk for herniated discs and also opens your chest and allows your diaphragm to move more freely and helps you breathe more deeply and easily. Improved posture also improves your attitude and projects confidence. This will allow you to move more fluently during multi-joint exercises and activities.
Improved balance and stability.
Core muscles stabilize your body and allow you to move quickly in any direction, or to stand on one foot without losing your balance. Correcting lower body weakness through core training will improve your dynamic balance and lower your risk of falls. A core-strengthening program is ideal for skiing or sports that require stable, quick movements in many rotational directions. Which leads to...
Improved athletic performance.
Almost every sport requires core strength and stability. Lifting a barbell, throwing a baseball or football, swinging a bat, club or tennis racquet all engage core strength and require power, which originates in your core. The core also supports rotation and the movement of hips and torso and the connection between your upper and lower body. Improving your core will improve your athletic sports performance.
Improved Power
It is no secret, your core is responsible for the transfer of power throughout your body. Most sports require its athletes to be explosive and powerful while remaining poised and stable. Developing a strong and functional core is absolutely crucial is this aspect. Incorporate exercises that you can execute with immaculate form while adding a speed aspect. plyometrics, squats, dead lifts, and Olympic lifts are great examples of these.
Nearly every movement originates from your core, improving your core strength and stability will reduce back pain, improve your posture, breathing, balance and stability and improve your athletic sports performance.