Steve Haywood Health & Fitness

An article by Linda Haywood © 2007 Steve Haywood Health & Fitness

The aim of core stability training is to stabilise the spine and assist lifting movements. A strong torso will reduce potential injury to the lower back. A great ’six-pack’ alone will not do this. Indeed, simply doing crunches and sit-ups with secured feet can lead to increased stress on the lumbar vertebrae and even aggravate the spinal discs and joints.

Abdominal workouts based largely on flexion exercises can result in excessive shortening of the hip flexor muscles. This shortening can pull on the attachments to the pelvis and lumbar spine; this in turn can affect your posture. These muscle imbalances, if not dealt with, can have a knock on effect on other muscles and joints which can be detrimental to your posture, and cause pain and, potentially, spinal injury.

The benefits of core stability training include; improved posture, fewer injuries, better agility and ability to change direction, improved balance and co-ordination, improved power and speed.

In addition, correct bracing techniques can help you achieve a flatter tummy -not by a reduction in fat, but rather thanks to the conditioning of the transverse muscle and other deep abdominal muscles, which, together with a better posture, has a flattening effect on the trunk.

Core stability exercises can help to improve balance in the over-60’s -especially important for this age-group since injuries sustained from falls as a result of poor balance are the leading cause of deaths in people ages 70 and over.

During pregnancy, the large muscle at the front of the torso, the rectus abdominus, stretches vertically to accommodate the growing child. However, its lateral stretching ability is limited and it actually splits down the middle during pregnancy.

For this reason, core stability training whilst pregnant is possible, but should only be embarked upon with the advice of a trained professional. Most exercises can resume again once the muscle gap has narrowed to 2-3cm after labour (this can be measured by pressing the index and middle fingers into the gap).