Last month I discussed with you the topic of Core Stability.-á The "coreGÇ¥ being the en vogue vernacular of the fitness and physical rehabilitation world, I thought I'd follow up on the topic, rehash some of the details and give you a practical application that you can implement into your daily routine.-á-á In review, typically, when one hears the phrase, "training your coreGÇ¥ the mind envisions the abs.-á But remember in our last discussion we laid out the all the various muscles of the core and what their function's are, at least in simple terms. The muscles of the core are made up of: the transverse abdominis(the deepest layer), the rectus abdominis (6 pack muscles), internal and external oblique's, the diaphragm, muscles of the pelvic floor, the multifidus, the lumbar spinal erectors, and even the thoracic spinal erectors.-á-á While these muscle groups have multiple functions, their main job is to keep your spine upright, supported, and provides stable movement of the spine and trunk. I'd like to share with you a simple yet effective exercise that could help you get on the right track.-á Over the last 17 years, two exercises have emerged to help improve core stability.-á Abdominal hollowing was introduced in 1999 by an Australian physiotherapist, who found that having his patients "draw in their belly button to their spine,GÇ¥ activating the transverse abdominis, helped other muscles of the core to activate faster prior to beginning a new movement.-á This particular exercise of drawing the belly button to the spine or "abdominal hollowingGÇ¥ rapidly became the staple for laying the foundation of establishing a stable core.-á You may, in fact, encounter Pilates instructors, Yoga Teachers, Personal Trainers, Physical Therapist and some Chiropractors, still teaching this exercise.-á I am however convinced that this particular exercise is flawed, in that it focuses on engaging one muscle, while the muscles of the core need to work together. Dr. Stuart McGill of the University of Waterloo, ON Canada, introduced the technique ofGÇ¥ Abdominal Bracing.GÇ¥-á Imagine bracing your midsection as if you're about to get punched in the stomach, and that's essentially Abdominal Bracing.-á The beauty of abdominal bracing is that in doing so, you also co-activate all layers of core muscles, along with the lats, quadratus lumborum and back extensors.-á This means the entire abdominal wall is activated from all sides, angles, and directions causing the layers of the core to physically bind together.-á Dr McGill's research has shown that bracing increases stiffness and stability of the core much better than training individual parts. So an easy way to start training your core is by practicing abdominal bracing.-á You can do it ANYWHERE; while sitting at your desk at work, sitting at a traffic light, while washing your hands, cooking dinner, literally anywhere.-á In fact you don't even have to brace 100%, you can practice bracing at 20 to 30% to gain a positive result.-á The key is to just practice bracing regularly.-á That's it.-á Also, as you're about to do any kind of lifting, brace your abs and that will help keep your spine stable and reduce your chance of injury. This is just a foundational exercise to get you started, be sure to consult a health care professional to help you build upon that foundation and make your core strong.-á As always, get up, get out and take charge of your health.-á Until next time.
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