Core muscles - why so important and how to strengthen.

Sticking with the core theme of the last few Posts here is one more in this little series that will wrap things up and identify why it is important to your overall fitness to develop your core, and how you go about this. This is one of a series written by Rich Carroll (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rich_Carroll) and found once again at 'ezinearticles' (http://EzineArticles.com/7544274), and again will provide you with some good options for that all important core work.


Because core muscles are harder to visualise, we might not give them their due respect in our workouts. But they have great importance in everything we do by providing a stable base for exercise and practically all daily activities we perform. These 29 pairs of muscles that make up our core make up a muscular box that are the foundation for arm and leg movement as well as balance and the ability to maintain good posture.

Finding exercises that strengthen the core muscles should be a major part of our exercise routine. Pilates and yoga have multiple movements that support and build the core, but simply balancing on one leg while stabilising the back and pelvis will also be beneficial. When people think of building the core, they think sit-ups or crunches. This is certainly an option, but it isn't the top one for working most of the 29 pairs of core muscles.

One that we will concentrate on in this article are varieties of the old standard without-equipment exercise, the push-up. Using a variety of push-ups will work all of these muscles. But performing them improperly can be a waste of time and energy. Trying to go too fast and using an abbreviated range of motion are two of the most common mistakes people make when doing push-ups. Rather than trying to do a set number of push-ups, try to work each individual one slowly, keeping the body straight, your elbows at a 45 degree angle to the body, gently touching the sternum to the floor and raising up to a straight-arm position.

In order to do a push-up properly requires a little strength, so if you are just starting out you may want to build strength by putting your knees rather than feet on the floor. It is imperative that you maintain the same form. Another option for beginners is the wall push-up. Do this by standing facing a wall with your feet about three feet away, place your palms flat against the wall leaning forward, then slowly push away from the wall.

As you get stronger and advance, for a more complete core workout try the reverse push-up. From the basic start position of the push-up, instead of allowing your weight to move downward to the floor, bend at the knees and hips and push backward until your waist is totally bent, but only your hands and feet are still on the floor. A more difficult variation of this is to start the backward movement from your low position on the floor. This gets even more of the core muscles involved.

There are many variations of the standard push-up that will further tax the core muscles. A key is to not let the exercise become too static. For instance, by varying you hand positions you can dictate which muscle groups that are to be targeted. By bringing your hands together under your chest you can work the triceps, or by widening your hands you can work the hands and shoulders more. Plus of course the big bonus with these exercises is they take no additional equipment and don't need a membership at a health club to do. You can use them even when you are on vacation (in case you are really motivated).

Core muscle workouts, whether done with free weights or machines, are a necessary part of building strength. These exercises described here are excellent because they can be done without the need for machines or weights.

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-Steve, at WhyWeight-