Core Stability & Strengthening

Strengthening And Core Stability Physio At The Movement Centre

For anyone looking to improve performance and reduce injury risk core stability physio exercises can help play a key role.  Strengthening exercises can be utilised in either static or dynamic postures and the focus may vary between strength, power, endurance, speed, or simply the timing and balance of muscle activation.  Your physiotherapist can discuss with you your goals with reference to your sport, occupation or just general activity goals and through this together you can come up with a strengthening approach that will assist you in achieving your desired outcomes.

Dynamic And Postural Muscles

A simple method of classifying muscles is based on their function.  Grouping them as either dynamic or postural muscles is one way.  Postural muscles are generally local muscles with the function of providing stability to an area.  Dynamic muscles on the other hand are more global muscles traveling greater distances across joints, acting to generate movement rather than stabilise. Without postural muscles firing appropriately you will not have a solid platform for the dynamic muscles to act from.  Core stability Physio exercises look to really target these postural muscles. 

Core Stability Physio Exercises Look To Provide You With A Stable Base

By design your spine is an unstable area, likened to a long stack of cotton reels all lined up on top of each other. The lower back comprises of five such cotton reels stacked on top of the pelvis.  Your lower back needs to be capable of not only allowing movement, but also needs to be strong enough to provide you with a solid base from which your lower and upper limbs can work.  This is where your core muscles come into play.  Through core stability physio exercises the aim is to give the individual a strong base of support in the spine. Such stability is vital with to performing even the most simple of tasks, as core muscle activation generally precedes any movement of your limbs.

Target Muscles With Core Stability Physio

When you think core stability, most people think exclusively about the abdominals…  However other deep trunk muscles like transversus abdominis, multifidus, paraspinal muscles, internal obliques, and the pelvic floor, all of which are muscles that have an important role in providing support to the spine.  Forces these muscles can help create through intra-abdominal pressure mechanisms and their pull on the thoracolumbar fascia means they can assist in stabilising and resisting forces acting on the lower back and spine in general.  These muscles however are not the extent of your core, the core could be considered to involve several other muscles.  Your gluteal muscles, hip adductors, hip rotators, hip flexors…  all play an important role in maintaining/providing trunk stability.  Any comprehensive core stability physio exercise program therefore should address all muscles groups, not just your abs to be effective.

Strengthening And Training Your Core Muscles

Improving the function of your core muscles needs to be task specific.  Meaning any training must consider the positions that stability is required, as well as the type of stability and muscle contractions required.  

Benefits Of Core Stability Physio Training

Individuals suffering with chronic low back pain have been shown through research to have weaker core muscles.  Not only is a weak, unbalanced core linked with low back pain but back pain can “switch off” your core muscles.  Having a strong core reduces stress on the spine and helps creates a stable base to operate against.
Athletic performance can benefit the more stable your core is, through an increased ability to generate power, and subsequently transferring this power to your limbs.

It’s Not Just About Doing Lots And Lots Of Crunches

A strong core isn’t about doing a thousand crunches a day.  Your abdominals are just a small part of what makes up your core.  Muscular stability and control of your back and pelvis is achieved by the coordinated activation of several muscles all playing their own role in stabilising the region.  Ideally your core stability physio program will focus on working to improve the timing, activation as well as strength of any of the necessary muscles needed to provide a strong platform for your body to operate from.