Core Stability | Maintain Weight Balance

Core stability is important for our bodies to prevent injury.

Strengthening the Core

Physiotherapists can help you with a program and techniques to improve strength, power and, more so, endurance.

Here are the Things to Avoid:

You should at all times try to avoid overloading the spine as this increases the risk of injury. A few “traditional” exercises are guilty of this maximising of load on the spine:

• Heavy resistance exercises of the back extensors
• Old style sit-ups
• Roman chair exercises
• Full flexion rotational exercises
• Exercising as soon as you wake up

Who benefits most from core strengthening exercises? Research has shown that some groups benefit more from core exercises than others, and also that some factors:

• Younger age (40 years and younger)
• Positive active straight leg raise tests
• Greater elasticity (hamstring length greater than 90)
• Positive pain provocation tests
• Positive prone (horizontal) stability test
• Presence of abnormal movement (catching)
• Positive posterior pelvic pain tests
• Positive Trendelenburg test

What are the benefits of core strengthening exercise?

People with chronic lower back pain and sacroiliac joint pain can benefit from core strengthening, as they show signs of weakness as well as poor muscle recruitment. Individuals with lower back pain also show signs of lethargy, decreased cross section and intrusion of fat in their paraspinal muscles. Athletes, and more so female athletes, can also have core weakness. If core weakness is present, athletes can risk getting anterior cruciate ligament injury. Core exercises can help to lessen the risks.

In Conclusion

Core strengthening exercises are helpful toring muscles that have degenerated through pain or injury.