The Right Way of Strengthing Your Core Muscles

It is quite common to hear people referring to their abdominal muscles as the core muscles. Although the abdominals are core muscles, they arent the only ones. There is a little more to it than that. Doing the right core exercises are the essential ingredient to developing a strong core, although of course things like creatine supplements and whey protein dont hurt. A strong core is vital for many reasons, not least the fact that it allows us to play sports. Without strong core muscles you are likely to be injured during sport.

There are several muscles which are classed as core muscles. From the Medius and Minimus muscles in the hip up to the erector spinae and ilio-psoas in the back all these muscles make up the core. Abdominals and obliques are the most well known of the core muscles. Essentially when we look at this muscle group you will see it covers the entirety of the middle of the body.

The transverse abdominals are the strongest muscle group in your stomach. They help you twist and flex from your waist, they protect your organs and most importantly create a strong core link between your upper body and lower body. They are often thought of as the most important muscles when it comes to developing a strong core. Running along the side of your waist are the obliques which are linked to the ribcage. Along with the transverse abdominals the obliques are important in twisting from the waist. Protecting your spine and pelvis are the rectus abdominus which are more commonly known as the six pack.

Below the abdominals and attached to the top of your leg at the front are the ilio-psoas and the hip muscles. Connected via the pelvis to the lower spine they also are instrumental in connecting upper with lower body. The purpose of these muscles is to raise the upper leg. Despite being instrumental to the movement of the leg, the connection to the spine means that they can cause pain in the lower back. This tends to be when the muscles shorten due to lots of time spent sitting down. Lower back discomfort in later life can be avoided by exercising these muscles. The glutius muscles - maximum, medius and minimus, are found in your rear. The glutius maximus is one of the large muscles in the body. Again they control the movement of your legs. These muscles are often very weak and should be exercised to improve posture and general core strength.

The key to a good core is both strength and suppleness. By developing the strength of each muscle you will be able to access this strength and your body will be able to function to the best of its abilities. You can exercise your core muscles with any routines that work lower and upper body against each other, ideally in a twisting motion.