Athletes have long known that strengthening their core was essential to the success of their performance; yet, chiropractors urge that athletes aren’t the only ones who should be concerned with their core. According to chiropractors, we should all pay more attention to achieving a stronger core.

What is your core and why is it important?

Think of the core of your body like the center of the earth—it’s the center of gravity that holds everything balanced and in its place. Your core is made up of your abdominal muscles, back and hip muscles, and your buttocks. These muscles provide for your core support and provide balance between your upper body and lower body.

A strong core means a strong body. A strong core is essential for living a balanced, healthy life and helps prevent injury, pain, and dysfunction.

When core muscles are weak and out of balance, it’s an invitation for unwelcome conditions such as back pain, incontinence, tension, headaches, and more. Further, these symptoms will continue to progress and worsen if you don’t take steps to strengthen and maintain your core.

Strengthening your core

Building a strong core begins with strengthening the muscles that support your abdomen and spine: transverse abdominals; obliques; rectus abdominus; erector spinae; iliopsoas; and gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus.

Strengthening your core can be begin with a few easy exercises at home that can be completed in as little as five minutes a day. Exercises can be as simple as controlled breathing and stretching exercises, which are not strenuous and can be performed by adults, children, and seniors. The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress has many examples of spinal health and core building programs online.

Chiropractors are among the leading health care providers providing awareness and support on the importance of a strong core for a healthy life. Chiropractors are advocates for a stronger core for a better quality of life.

Chiropractic can help strengthen the core, and balance and align the body, through adjustments, rehabilitative therapies, acupuncture, nutritional counseling, and home exercise programs.

Try these basic core home exercises daily when you wake and before you go to bed:

Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and raise your arms slowly over your head as you count to three, stretch, and inhale. Then lower your arms to your side to the count of three as you exhale slowly.

Next, with your feet slightly apart and arms by your side as you keep the rest of your body stationary, retract your belly button straight back towards your spine as you inhale and count to three, pause, and exhale as you release your belly button to its resting position.

Finally, in a standing position, wrap your arms around your shoulders, give yourself a big hug, and slowly twist to your right as you inhale then back to center as you exhale. Repeat slowly as you rotate to the left and inhale then back to the center as you exhale.

These starting exercises can get you on your way to strengthening your core, which in turn can help improve your breathing, fight spinal dysfunction, decrease aches and pains, reduce tension, and improve the quality of your life.

Once you build a foundation for core exercises, you can work your way into more advanced exercises to strengthen your core.

For more in depth information, consult your local chiropractor.