“Engage your core” is a term we often hear to avoid back injury during strenuous activity. It should go without saying that bracing one’s core is beneficial when lifting a wine box off the ground, carrying it thirty meters, rotating it to place it on a shelf, and lifting it to a shelf of varying heights. A rounded back when picking an awkwardly shaped object off the ground that exceeds thirty pounds, followed by turning from the back in a jerky and uncontrolled motion, is a potent scenario for a back injury to occur. These injuries can present as a paraspinal muscle strain or, worse, as stress on intervertebral discs. Strained muscles stressed from lower back injuries can heal over time. However, stress to the cartilaginous discs between our vertebrae doesn’t heal as fast as muscle tissue. Furthermore, stress on discs can press against spinal root nerves, causing burning “nervy” pain and neuropathy, such as numbness and tingling in the lower extremities.
We’ve more than likely heard and read that a strong core aids in athletic ability as well. For example, as a golfer strikes the ball off a tee or putts, their core must be contracted and held still at certain points, and also strongly contracted to produce coordinated rotational movements in unison with the hips, harnessing power for a successful strike. Another example of athletic core engagement is a tennis player’s strike on the ball during a two-handed backhand swing. After planting their feet in the ground and preparing to strike the ball, a chain reaction of force production originates from the ground, passes through the hips, into the rotational core muscles of the abdomen and trunk of the body, and eventually to the arms holding the racket. That harmony of force production sends energy to the racket to produce a successful strike on the ball.
The combination of stabilization, rotational power production, and coordinated neuromuscular engagement of the core and hip muscles significantly enhances the potential for stick-and-ball athletes to succeed in their athletic arena. While activities such as golf and tennis might receive a lot of attention when it comes to appreciating the core, simply lifting a box of wine off the shelf and walking through a tasting room have strikingly similar demands on core and hip muscle engagement. Therefore, people in the working population can significantly benefit from exercise education that covers how to develop a consistent core-strengthening practice to improve their function and productivity.
“Core” muscles can be defined in many ways. A helpful way to identify the core we teach our personal training clients is that any area from the ribs to the bottom of the butt cheeks is considered the “core” of the body. Therefore, the phrase “tighten your core” doesn’t just mean to flex your abs or “bring your stomach in”. Paraspinal muscles along the back of the spine, the deep intrinsic core muscles of the psoas lining the anterior portion of the spine, the various layers of gluteal and hip rotator muscles in the posterior aspect of the hip, and the hip flexors connecting the hips to the upper portion of the femur are all “core muscles.” Therefore, working the core is far more sophisticated than just lying on the ground conducting the crunches instructed on a “10 Minute Abs” video.
Emphasizing muscular engagement of the lower back, deep intrinsic core muscles, and the anterior and posterior aspects of the hips can significantly increase core strength over a thirty to ninety-day period if exercise sessions are consistently prioritized each week. A simple and effective exercise that can be done in various settings, from a local gym or in one’s own home setting, is the supine “legs only” dying bug:
To perform, lie down with your back flat on the ground. Bring your arms up to where your finger tips are pointed toward the ceiling, elbows extended, and arms are perpendicular to the armpit axis. Additionally, flex the hips and bring the knees to a position perpendicular to the hips. The knees should start in a bent position at a ninety-degree angle. Ensure to perform a posterior pelvic tilt, in which the crests of the hips are pulled toward the front of the rib cage, the navel is pulled in toward the front of the spine, the arch of the lumbar spine is relatively flat on the ground, and the glutes are engaged. While keeping the spinal, abdominal, and glutes engaged, extend one leg and point the toe out to where it is extended at about a thirty-to-forty-five degree angle from the ground. You should feel muscular engagement in the abdominal and front of the thigh. Return your leg to its initial position, then repeat the same movement on the other side. Repeat this movement for three to five repetitions.
Simple and effective exercises that cover a large surface area of the lower back, the deep intrinsic core muscles, the glutes, and the hip flexors can significantly improve core muscle infrastructure and functionality. Choosing safe and appropriate exercise to reinforce core muscle conditioning can help us not only excel in our recreational activities but also in the simple, commonly overlooked movements we perform in our careers and hobbies.
Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com, or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.