WHAT IS THE CORE AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO STRENGTHEN IT AND WORK IT

Surely more than once you have heard of core and you do not know very well what this term refers to. In the next post we will talk about what the core is and why it is important to strengthen and work on it.

When it comes to having a healthy and strong body, many people think about doing chest and arm exercises to look good for the summer and the beach. But did you know that having a strong core is key to having a healthy and balanced body? Yes, we're talking about the muscles in your core, including your abs, lower back, and hips.

We are going to tell you everything you need to know about this important part of the body so that you can start working on it effectively. Let's go there!

WHAT IS THE CORE AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO KEEP IT IN SHAPE?

The word "core" comes from English and means "nucleus". As its name suggests, the core is the nucleus of the muscles in the central part of the body and from them we get almost all the strength we need to move. In addition, they are in charge of supporting our body along with the spine.

But why is it important for those muscles to be strong? And what functions do this group of muscles fulfill? Having a strong core brings many health benefits. These muscles help maintain correct posture, prevent injuries, improve balance and stability, as well as improve athletic performance. Additionally, having good core strength helps prevent back pain, improve circulation, and improve respiratory function.

WHAT ARE THE CORE MUSCLES?

There is no precise description that describes exactly what all the muscles that include the core are. But several studies defend that the muscles that make up the core are: the abdominals, the hips, and the lower back (lower back, pelvis, buttocks, and deep back muscles).

The core is often related to the abdominals. And although this statement is not false, it is incomplete, since the core is made up of a set of muscles. This set is located in the middle part of the body, covering from the chest to the waist. These muscles are responsible for maintaining the balance and stability of the trunk, allowing efficient and coordinated movements. The main muscles of the core are the abdominals, lower back, obliques, psoas, and gluteals.

We can divide the core muscles into two different types. Some are in charge of providing stability to the spine, and the others are in charge of assisting the former in movements and efforts, such as when lifting weights. We call the first the tonic-postural muscles, and the second, muscles of the phasic system.

Tonic-postural muscles

These muscles are made up of the transversus abdominis, the posterior fibers of the internal oblique muscle of the abdomen, the diaphragm, the pelvic floor muscles, the multifidus, and portions of the long muscle dorsi. These muscles come out of the vertebrae and serve the purpose of stabilizing the spine.

Phasic system muscles

Among these muscles are the external oblique, internal oblique, lats, gluteal muscles, and latissimus dorsi. These outer core muscles give us the strength to lift weights and control our range of motion, plus stability.

These external core muscles are understood as a phasic system that, although they are aimed at providing strength, play a very important role in our stability.

In short, having a strong core requires coordination between the external and internal muscles that make it up. This will ensure that our body improves stability, that movements are more precise and that damage or injuries are reduced.

BENEFITS OF HAVING A STRONG CORE

Having a strong core is very important for maintaining good physical and mental health. It is the center of gravity of the body, it is the connection between the lower body and the upper body and, therefore, it is key to developing balance, stability and coordination. The main benefits of having a strong core are many, among them are:

1. Improves posture: a strong core helps you to have a better optimal body posture and reduce back and neck pain.

2. Improves balance: core exercises help you strengthen the muscles of the feet, legs, and hips, improving your balance. In addition, being in the central area of the body, it helps to maintain the balance and strength of the entire body.

3. Increases resistance: a strong core helps you better withstand physical efforts and aerobic resistance.

4. Prevents and reduces the risk of injuries: core exercises are a good way to prevent sports injuries, strengthening core muscles.

5. Improve respiratory capacity: core exercises improve lung capacity, which helps you breathe optimally and healthy.

6. Improves physical performance: a strong core improves physical performance by increasing endurance and strength.

7. Burn fat in the middle area: while you work the core, you reduce fat in the abdominal area.

8. Reduces stress and anxiety: Helps reduce stress and anxiety by increasing endorphin levels.

9. Increase your confidence: there is nothing more satisfying than feeling strong and confident in your body. By having a strong core, you will feel more confident and able to do things that seemed impossible before.

In conclusion, a strengthened and healthy core is an excellent way to improve your physical and mental condition. Therefore, it is important that you incorporate core exercises into your daily training routine.

EXERCISES TO WORK THE CORE AT HOME WITH FITNESS MACHINES

The training of the muscles of the core area is mainly based on maintained unstable positions, which generate the activation of the muscles of this area to stabilize our center of gravity and balance us.

Here we leave you some of the basic exercises to work the core at home with one of our fitness machines, although there are many variants depending on the demand and intensity of the exercise:

Work the core with spinning

To carry out your training on a spinning bike or indoor cycle in the best possible way and work your abdominal area, we mention some keys that you can follow:

- Train with different intervals of intensity and active recovery, where you rest by lowering the resistance and maintaining a smooth pedaling for a few minutes, then increase the resistance again and increase the speed.

- Do sessions alternating standing and sitting positions, going up and down continuously. This will stimulate the muscles of the belly, so the abdomen area is toned and slimmed.

- Practice at least four weekly sessions of 30 or 40 minutes. We recommend resting at least two days a week (leave a day of rest between training and training), to avoid injuries and overload your body too much.

Elliptical training for the core area

The elliptical cross trainer offers a foolproof workout to burn calories and fat because it allows you to vary between cardiovascular exercises and high-intensity intervals. In order to burn abdominal fat and tone the core, it is necessary to train regularly, 2 to 3 times a week, in sessions of about 45 minutes. As with the spin bike, do high- and low-intensity interval sessions for optimal core practice.

What more could you want? Now that you know what the core is, train your core on a regular basis and enjoy all the benefits it brings. Whether it's spinning exercises, elliptical training or just doing planks, find what you like and make it part of your daily routine. You will see how your body and mind will feel stronger and healthier!