Exercises for a Stronger Core

How to Strengthen your Entire Core

When it comes to strength training muscles, one area often gets overlooked … our core! But what IS our core muscles exactly?!

When we think of our core, we usually only think of the muscles that wrap around our body’s midsection. Your core is FAR more than just your ab muscles. It also includes your spine, pelvic girdle, abdomen, and hip joints.

Plus, your shoulders and chest play a role in your core stability and strength! That means it’s helpful to think about your entire TRUNK & midsection comprising your core muscles.

When all of these muscles are aligned and working together, your core is stable and strong. And when your core is stable, your entire body benefits! You’re stronger, more balanced, and can generate more power when needed – helping to prevent injuries and falls!

But when your muscles are out of balance … it can lead to instability and core weakness, contributing to pain, lack of flexibility, and injuries.

Here’s an example: If you sit hunched over a computer for hours a day at work, it can cause your chest, shoulder, abdominal, and hip flexor muscles to become short, tight, and “over-activated,” while your mid back, deep abdominal and glute muscles get lazy, lengthen and become less active. You can see how it wouldn’t take very long for this to affect the stability and strength of your core.

Activate Your Pelvic Floor…?!

Did you know that your pelvic floor (the deep muscles that run along your spine) is actually the FOUNDATION for your core? They work very hard to support you – as well as all the organs that are inside your pelvic region.

Keeping those muscles strong and fit can make a big difference in your body’s overall stability, as well as your digestive and reproductive organs.

This doesn’t just apply to women, BTW – men also benefit from having strong pelvic floor muscles. Strong pelvic floor muscles help with urinary and bowel control as well as sexual function.

Many things can affect your pelvic floor muscles, including pregnancy, obesity, constipation, surgery and/or radiation, and just getting older.

Note: if you’re currently having problems with pelvic floor weakness it’s important to check with your doctor to find out the root cause, and to get their go-ahead to start working on correcting those issues.

3 Exercises For Your Pelvic Floor

KEGELS – The trick with Kegels (for men AND women) is to isolate them without contracting your ab and glute muscles.

It helps to think about lifting up the muscles at the front and back inside of your pelvis as high as you can and hold for 8 to 10 seconds, and then relaxing. Repeat 2-3 times … and then do a few reps a little faster, holding for 1-2 seconds each.

Make sure you breathe and really focus on targeting just your pelvic floor muscles!

BRIDGE – Lie on your back with your hands at your sides, palms facing up toward the ceiling. Your knees should be bent and your feet flat on the floor.

Engage your ab and glute muscles and push your low back into the floor, then press your hips up toward the ceiling, until you’re in a straight line from your knees to your hips to your shoulders.

Keeping your core and glutes engaged, hold for 2 to 3 seconds before lowering, and repeat for a total of 8-10 reps. (Make sure you breathe!)

BIRD DOG – Kneel with your knees hip-width apart and your hands flat on the ground under your shoulders.

Engage your core and keep your spine neutral as you reach your right arm straight in front of you while extending your opposite (left) leg behind you.

Think “long” and not “high” when lifting your arm and leg, with your hips and chest still facing the floor. If you find your back starts to sag or your hips rotate, only lift your arm and leg as high as you can while keeping good form.

Hold for 2-3 seconds then return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side, keeping the movements smooth and fluid. Repeat for a total of 10 repetitions on each side.

Mini Core Circuit

Ok, so you’ve activated your core and your pelvic floor muscles! Now ready to strengthen your core?

Here’s a quick routine you can do to help balance your muscles if you sit a lot.

1. Grab a foam roller and roll out those tight hip flexors: get into a plank from your forearms, with the roll under one of your hips. Gently roll back and forth for about 30 seconds, paying special attention to spots that feel tight. Repeat on the other side. BONUS: Also roll out your quads/thighs. No foam roller? Perform a standing or kneeling deep hip flexor lunge for 20 seconds.

2. Fire up your glutes with bridges: This move also works your core. Lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, push up through your heels and lift your hips up toward the ceiling, really squeezing through your glute muscles. Repeat for 15-20 reps.

3. Work on rotational strength with a woodchopper: Hold a light to a medium dumbbell with both hands and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Twist slightly so that the dumbbell is by your right thigh, and abs braced, move the dumbbell at a 45º angle so that it rotates toward (and above) your left shoulder. Return to the starting position and repeat for 8-10 reps. Repeat on the other side.

4. Challenge your entire core with a forearm plank: Get into a push-up position but bend your arms so that your weight is on your forearms. Your elbows should be directly under your shoulders.

Keep your body in a straight line from your head to your heels, your abs and glutes tight and strong. Make sure you breathe! Hold for 30 to 60 seconds.

Questions or want more detailed information about Core Training? Send me an email at allisonbergstromfitness@yahoo.com