If you’re looking to tone up your abs, you’ve probably heard the word “core”. In addition to strengthening your abs, core exercises can be responsible for improving the way you perform everyday activities, and that’s precisely why we bring you this article today.
Here, you’ll understand what muscles make up the core, what the benefits of strengthening it are, and some exercises that can help you take the first steps toward starting a core workout routine.
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What is the Core?
The core consists of the muscles that surround your torso, ensuring stability and balance for your body. They are extremely important muscles to ensure that your spine is not overloaded during weight lifting and properly distributing force between the upper and lower body.
Although people think the core is composed solely of the abdomen, several muscles support the core to ensure stability and proper posture. Some of the main ones are:
Rectus Abdominis
Here is the “six-pack” muscle. It is the large muscle located in front of your abdominal wall, responsible for flexing your lumbar spine so that you can move your rib cage towards your pelvis.
Transverse Abdominis
It is a muscular layer of the abdominal wall that spans the front and sides of the abdomen. It sits underneath the internal oblique muscle, maintaining abdominal tension to protect your internal organs. When engaging, the intraabdominal pressure increases, helping with functions such as exhaling, defecating and coughing.
Multifidus
It is a muscle that extends throughout your spine, with more significant development in the lumbar region. It plays a crucial role in stabilizing the spine. Sometimes, pain in the lumbar region can be associated with a weakened multifidus.
Internal and External Obliques
These muscles are located in the abdominal wall and are responsible for rotate and side bend the trunk, in addition to giving stability to your spine.
Spinae Erector
It comprises three muscles extending along the spine, with fibres in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions. They are mainly responsible for straightening the back, in addition to allowing side-to-side rotation.
Diaphragm
The diaphragm is located below the lungs. It’s a muscle that rhythmically contracts so you can breathe – inhaling and exhaling the air.
Pelvic Floor Muscles
It is a net of muscles responsible for supporting your pelvic organs. They allow you to control the release of urine, faeces, and gas and are also essential for good sexual functioning.
Hip Flexors
These muscles are located in the pelvic region and are responsible for flexing the hips and bringing the knees towards your hips. They are critical to ensure the proper functioning and balance of the posterior pelvic muscles. They help us walk and perform other activities using our legs.
Benefits of Strengthening your Core
Now that you understand that the core is responsible for stabilizing and ensuring good balance and functioning of the muscles of the abdomen, lower back, pelvis and hips, let’s jump into practice.
Some of the benefits of strengthening your core are:
1. Keep your Back Healthy
A core exercise routine can help reduce pain, strengthen your lower back, and lessen routine activities’ impact on your spine.
2. Boost your Performance on Sports and Physical Activities
Most of the physical activities and sports we practice demand a strengthened core for better performance and injury prevention since such exercises involve the upper body and (or) lower bodywork. Exercising your core can also improve your flexibility and, as a result, the practice of many daily activities.
3. Improve Balance, Posture and Coordination
A strengthened core allows the body to move in any direction in a balanced way and ensures that your muscles don’t shorten. Because we work sitting most of the time, we risk shortening our hip flexors and hamstrings, overloading our lower back and causing an imbalance in standing and walking postures.
By activating these muscles more often, we ensure that they work in harmony to improve our balance and coordination.
7 Core Exercises that Improve your Posture
As always, if you don’t know what you’re doing, we recommend that you look for a personal trainer or expert who can guide you. If you feel pain, do not exercise and see your doctor immediately.
Both intensity and frequency of workouts should be stipulated according to your body’s healthy.
Let’s get down to business!
1. Bridge
This is an excellent gluteus exercise that also works on your hip mobility.
To perform this movement:
- Lie on your back on the floor and place your feet hip-width apart.
- Rest your hands on the floor, palms down, and arms straight.
- Raise your hips until your knees line up with your shoulders.
- Hold the position for a few seconds and return to the starting position
- Repeat the movement.
2. Crunch
That’s is an excellent exercise to work your abs.
To perform this movement:
- Lie on your back on the floor and place your feet on a bench hip-width apart.
- Rest your arms crossed over your chest.
- Raise your upper back without taking your lower back, hips and feet off the ground. All the strength used in this exercise must come from your abdomen.
- Keep your torso supported up for a few seconds and return to the starting position.
3. Plank
That’s is another excellent exercise for developing core strength, as well as working on your stability. To perform this movement:
- Position your elbows directly below your shoulders, with your forearms forward.
- Keep your body straight in a neutral posture, with your face down and your toes touching the floor.
- Keep your torso straight, with the abdomen engaged.
- Support your body for as long as you can and return to the starting position
4. Superman Pull
This exercise will especially work your lower back muscles, helping with the mobility of your back extension. You may also feel other muscles being recruited, such as the abdomen, glutes, hamstrings, upper back and shoulders.
To perform this move:
- Lie on the floor on your stomach, with your legs straight and arms extended forward
- Raise your arms and legs simultaneously. You should feel your lower back being engaged.
- Hold the position for a few seconds and return to the starting position.
Tip: As the name implies, you should imagine flying like the SuperMan during the execution of this exercise.
5. V-Ups
That’s an advanced exercise, as it works with the lower body and upper body lifting simultaneously. It is incredibly effective for working the abs, in addition to coordination and balance.
To perform this move:
- Lie on your back to the floor and keep your arms and legs slightly elevated – not touching the floor.
- In one movement, lift your torso and legs – as if you both want to touch each other.
- Keeping your abs engaged, control the movement and slowly return to the starting position.
6. Mountain Climber
Here is another excellent exercise that will work your core, quads, arms and shoulders. In addition, it is an exercise that works with intensity, so it should improve your endurance and raise your heart rate to burn some extra calories.
To perform this move:
- Do the plank position.
- Keep your back in a neutral position (straight, not arching) and engage your abs.
- Bring your knee to your chest (as wide as you can) and keep your other leg on the floor.
- Switch legs and perform the same movement.
- Try to perform the leg shift as quickly as possible while maintaining a good posture with your hips down.
- Inhale and exhale as you change your legs.
7. Leg Raises
This exercise focuses mainly on your lower abs and is an excellent option for strengthening them.
To perform this move:
- Lie on your back on the floor with your legs straight.
- Contract your abs and lift your legs toward the ceiling until your gluteus is off the ground, but remember to keep your legs straight.
- With the abdomen engaged, slowly return to the starting position, controlling the movement.
Founder and Editor of TheLifesty. Passionate about Health & Fitness and enthusiast about changes. Interested in everything that improves the quality of life.