Coretastic

​I love working my core, feeling the burn!  Everyone says that right?  Your core is an interesting thing, it actually consists of 5 parts that work as one.  The first four main pieces are located in the front of your body shown in figure A.  The fifth piece are your spinal rectal muscles located in your back running parallel to your spine shown in figure B. These are closest to the surface.  However, there are hidden pieces within your body that consist of your transverse abdominis, diaphragm, multifidi, and your pelvic floor.  These pieces are often forgotten because of their location.Your cores biggest job is to be a stabilizer and act as a force transfer center.  It is not necessarily a prime mover, like your gluts and quads. 

When training our core, we need to think less about isolation and more about functional movements like deadlifts, OHS, and push-ups.  By cross training we get better strength gains and more efficient movement. Doing a thousand sit-ups might make you sore but it is not going to teach the group of muscles motor control and function.  Without this we are nothing more than a fish flopping around. 

By focusing on our core there are 3 main benefits that help with our total fitness.  First, a strong core gives us a leg up in injury prevention.  These muscles protect our lower back and hips from wrenching out of alignment.  Also, it helps our hamstrings, gluts, abs and back all work together as a team.   Next, with a stronger core we can rehabilitate quicker from injury.  Creating a stability beneath the surface muscles helps provide movement of other injured muscles.  Lastly, overall improved performance in balance, twisting, and sporting activities are improved.  Your core is recognized as the powerhouse of an athlete. 

This theory of being a power house also applies in yoga philosophy as well.  There are 3 Bandhas in yoga, two isolate the core.  The Mula Bandha is the breath that contract at the base of your pelvic floor, reaching up towards the naval and in towards the spine.  It is this bandha that helps us stay rooted and locked, giving us balance both physically and spiritually.  As we travel up the we then engage Uddiyanna Bandha.  This incorporates the diaphragm and stomach abdomen.  This breath fires up your muscles while massaging your organs helping in detoxification. 

So, whether you are training for a marathon, Olympic weight lifting competition, practicing yoga or putting away your groceries.  Your core envelopes a huge portion of your body and helps with the elite to the day to day.  The next time you disengage your core while working out performing for speed not for form or complain while holding you plank, know that it is not just your belly you are not working, it’s your whole body suffering.