Core exercises have, if you will pardon the pun, moved to the center of the fitness world. If your core is strong and flexible, stresses will be distributed throughout your body better, your spine will be supported, and you will be able to move with greater efficiency. But here is what you need to know about core exercises ....you need to know what the core is!
Too many people point vaguely to their bellies, announce they are going to do core work, then slam out some crunches and think they've done core. Not really.
In the broadest definitions of the core, fitness experts include the whole central section of the body all the way from the pelvis and hips up through the midsection. A big list of core muscles might look like this:
- deep back muscles like the erector spinae and multifidus
- hip flexors and spine stabilizers like the Psoas, iliacus, and rectus femoris
- hip adductors and abductors
- gluteus muscles (butt muscles)
- abdominal muscles from the surface rectus abdominis to the deep transversus abdominis
My guy below (who has fabulous muscle development....) will show you the muscles identified above.
The Core of the Core
The core muscles that are truly core are those that lie close to the center of the body. The psaos, a long muscle that runs down the front of the spine and attaches at the top of the femur; the multifidus and erector spinae, both deep spine muscles; and transversus abdominus, the deepest abdominal muscle are examples. Their actions have more to do with stabilizing than with the heavy work some of the more surface muscles do.
Refer to the Workouts and Resources page for a few examples of core exercises.
Not sure what happened to August, but we are only a couple weeks from the official end of summer ....and we are all starting to think about plans for the fall. We will be running our "Fit Over 50" class once again, starting Sept 28th. This class is for those what are new to exercise, or have been away from regular exercise for quite sometime. These are educational classes where we discuss aging and the different components of a workout. Our goal is to have you finish the 5-class series knowing how to get started, monitor and challenge yourself as you begin to include fitness and exercise into your day-to-day routine.
It's never too late! Classes take place in the upstairs Multi-purpose room at the Memorial Arena in Cranbrook, starting at 7 pm. Registration is handled by Leisure Services at the RecPlex.
