Why Core Strenght Matters
Your core is the foundation of most movements and physical activities, making core strength vital for functional movements. Core strength is crucial for daily life because it stabilizes your body, allowing you to move efficiently and maintain proper posture. A strong core reduces the risk of injuries by providing better support for your spine and improving balance and coordination. It also makes everyday tasks, such as lifting objects, bending, and even sitting, more manageable and less strenuous.
8-Exercise Core Strength Routine
Bird Dog
The bird dog exercise improves movement, control, and stability of the whole body.
- Start on your hands and knees, with your hands under your shoulders, and knees under your hips
- “Squeeze” the abdominal and pelvic floor muscles
- Straighten your opposite leg and opposite arm at the same time, keeping control of your torso
- Do not let your hips or body rotate
- Hold the extended position, then bring both the leg and arm in towards your core, bringing the knee to the elbow (Let your back bend to bring them together)
- Repeat as many reps on each side as you feel comfortable and capable of
!["Bird Dog" Exercise](https://dynamicsportstherapy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Bird-Dog-2.png)
Dead Bug
- Lie on your back and bring your legs up to a tabletop position, creating a 90-degree angle with your legs
- Raise your arms straight up
- Keeping your back flat, lower the opposite arm and leg away from one another towards the floor
- Only your legs and arms should be moving while completing this exercise
- Return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite leg and arm
![Woman laying on her back demonstrating the Dead Bugs exercise](https://dynamicsportstherapy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Dead-Bugs-3.png)
Crunch
- Lie on your back with your legs bent and feet on the floor
- Lift your arms off the floor and tuck your chin to your chest
- Reaching your hands towards your knees, curling the upper body off of the floor
![Woman laying on the floor demonstrating the crunch exercise](https://dynamicsportstherapy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Crunch-1.png)
Single Leg Bridge
- Lie on your back with legs bent upwards, feet on the floor
- Lift one foot slightly off of the floor
- Using the effort of the grounded foot, lift your hips up into a bridge until you have a straight line from your shoulders to your knees
- Lower your body back to the ground and repeat
- Keep your pelvis level throughout this exercise
![Woman laying down completing the Single Leg Bridge Exercise](https://dynamicsportstherapy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Single-Leg-Bridge-1.png)
Resisted Sidelying Clam With Band
- Start by lying on your side with your back straight and legs bent with a resistance band around your thighs, closer to your knees, allowing your head to rest on your arm
- Lift and rotate the knee on top upward, keeping your feet together and pelvis pointing straight forward
- You should feel tension in the glutes as your knee is lifted
- Lower the lifted leg back to the starting position
![Womans legs, laying down on the floor, demonstrating form for a resisted sidelying clamshell exercise.](https://dynamicsportstherapy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Sidelying-Resisted-Clam-With-Band-1.png)
Mountain Climbers
- Start in a push-up position on your hands and toes
- Take turns with each leg bending your knees and bringing your feet towards your hands
- Try to keep your body in a straight line
- Go slow if you need to to avoid injury or strain
![Woman demonstrating mountain climber exercise](https://dynamicsportstherapy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Mountain-ClimbersResisted-Clam-With-Band-2.png)
Core Strengthening With Stability Ball
- Lie on your back with your legs on a stability ball, arms crossed over your chest
- The closer the ball is to your feet, the harder the exercise
- Steadily roll the ball to one side, controlling the movement with your abdominal muscles
- Roll the ball back to the middle and over to the other side
![Woman laying down with arms crossed, legs on an exercise ball, moving it side to side with her legs](https://dynamicsportstherapy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Abdominal-strengthening-with-legs-on-stability-ball.png)
Banded Resisted Marching
- Start by standing with a resistance band around both feet (around the tops and bottoms of your feet) and your arms slack at your side
- Lift one leg and bring your knee towards your chest against the resistance from the band
- Keep the hip of the supporting leg straight
- repeat with the other leg
- While marching, keep your upper body upright and let your arms swing at the same tempo as your march
![Standing legs with resistance band arund the top and bottom of shoe, while demonstrating marching](https://dynamicsportstherapy.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Banded-Resisted-Marching-2.png)
Experiencing soreness during or after the exercises is normal, pain is not. If you are experiencing any pain, please schedule an appointment with a provider specializing in functional movement. Our chiropractors are available to discuss your options during a virtual consultation.
Is Your Core Weak?
A weak core can significantly impact your daily life, leading to poor posture and chronic back and neck pain. It can decrease balance and stability, increasing the risk of falls and injuries. A weak core makes everyday tasks, such as lifting, bending, and standing for extended periods, more difficult and tiring. Inefficient movement patterns and breathing difficulties may also arise from poor core strength, further affecting overall well-being and physical performance.