Core Strength Exercises

Core Strength Exercises - here are 3 of the BEST
The core we refer to, is your torso - from top of your neck to base of the spine, and all muscles in an around the area. Core muscles not only include "the six-pack" but also levels of abdominal muscles that wrap around your torso, pelvic floor and also back.

These include: rectus abdominal, transverse abdominal, the pelvic floor, back muscles and the abdominal obliques. All these muscles are very important - most back pain is attributed to weak abdominals.

The rectus, tranverses and obliques are responsible for bending and flexing. However when you're doing crunches and sit-ups you're using mostly the rectus muscle and not much else. You won't gain too much core strength - but you will get a good looking six-pack!

So how do I exercise core muscles?

This OBLIQUE ABDOMINALS core strength exercise here will work your oblique muscles.
In this position lift across the body - left armpit to right knee and vice versa.The obliques are the muscles around the waist area and consist of the external obliques and the internal obliques. The obliques engage when you want to twist and bend sideways. They're a bit like an old fashioned corset - and that's what they do - support you.

A quintessential pilates core strength exercise - the "HUNDREDS":
Hold this position, and pump arms up and down slowly. Inhale for 2 breaths and exhale for 2.

The SINGLE LEG STRETCH is another fantastic abdominal core strength exercise.
In this position, stretch out the left leg, placing your hands on the right knee. Then change to the opposite. Inhale on one side, and exhale on the other.



Additionally, if you pick up a ball, the possibilities are endless....Check out our Stability Ball Exercises page. Ball exercises are fabulous for improving core strength.
You will also need to work on lower back exercises and stretches. You can find them here at : Lower Back Exercises and Lower Back Stretches
The transverse abdominal wrap around your body like a girdle. Although evidence suggests that these muscles are automatically engaged before exercise, pilates methods encourage you to learn how to "turn on" those muscles during exercise.

There are 2 ways of doing this:

1. Imagine a small zip from the naval to the pubis bone (just like your jeans). Now close the zip from the pubis to naval - ZIP UP! This is done on the EXHALED BREATH.


2. The pelvic floor muscles using the Pelvic Floor Technique is another method of "turning-on" those core muscles as you exercise. Pelvic Floor Exercises are much neglected with our exercise routines - and are ESSENTIAL to help develop core strength. They have the added benefit of involving ALL core muscles. It'sso very important to do them - no matter how old you are.

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