Core training involves strengthening the body's torso. This includes muscles in the chest, stomach and hips. Weight training that targets the muscles in those areas are effective for increasing core strength and stability. Training can include use of weight machines, free weights or simple body resistance exercises that can be completed in the privacy of your home.
Purpose
Working out to increase core strength benefits your health in several ways. It improves your balance and posture. In addition to toning muscles, having a strong core also makes you less susceptible to back injuries and chronic lower back pain. Core muscles are involved in almost every type of daily physical activity. Athletes depend on core strength for successful performance in competitions.
Core Muscles
The major core muscles link the upper and lower parts of the body. They include abdominal muscles: the internal and external obliques, the rectus abdominus and the transverse abdominus. The muscles in the hip included in the core consist of the abductors and flexors in the pelvic area and upper thigh. The major back muscles in the core include lower back muscles as well as the gluteus maximus which makes up the buttocks.
Types of Workouts
The options for workouts that strengthen core muscles range from specialized programs for a specific sport to fitness classes that use equipment like stability balls or involve boot camp workout style tactics. Bodybuilders target their core muscles with free weights or weight machines. However, you do not need expensive equipment to develop the muscles in your torso. Traditional exercises that target the area include crunches, squats, hip lifts, planks, supermans, push-ups and leg lifts. The American Council on Exercise recommends a core workout that combines these bodyweight exercises that can be done two to three times per week.
Equipment
You can add variety to your exercises using relatively inexpensive equipment. In addition to breaking the monotony of the exercise, adding equipment also adds to the intensity of your workout. Include equipment such as kettlebells, medicine balls, stability balls, dumbbells and BOSU balls. ACE provides several tutorials on how to use equipment for a core-training workout.
Considerations
If you are a beginner in core strength training, you may be tempted to work out every day. However, you muscles need a day to rest in between training. Do not overexert yourself or work your muscles two days in a row. Muscles need time to recover from workouts and overexertion will only cause damage. MayoClinic.com suggests taking a gradual approach to core training by focusing on technique rather than repetitions and duration when you are beginning your program, and taking breaks when you feel fatigued instead of working yourself to exhaustion.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Core Exercises --- 7 Reasons to Strengthen Your Core Muscles
- National Strength and Conditioning Association: Core Stability for Athletes
- American College of Sports Medicine: Core Workout
- National Strength and Conditioning Association: Connecting the Core
- MayoClinic.com: Slide Show --- Core Exercises
- John Berardi: Weight Lifting and Post-exercise Muscle Recovery
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