Health and Exercise

Core stability exercises improve torso strength as a whole. These exercises target many muscles in the torso including abdominal muscles, internal/external obliques, and muscles that run along the spine. Why do these muscles need to be improved?

A balanced training program to strengthen your core will not only improve your overall fitness and feeling fit, but also help avoid back and neck pain and even injuries that can result from weak muscle groups that do not give sufficient support to the bones.

One important thing to remember when performing core stability exercises is to make sure you activate all of your torso muscle groups evenly. The following is a list of five top exercises that will help you activate all of your torso muscles evenly.

1. Straight Crunch. Although old fashion, the straight crunch helps strengthen the “6-pack abs” section of your torso.

2. Crossover Crunch. Adding twise to the straight crunch gives you the crossover crunch. When done right, this exercise strengthens the side and front muscles of the abdomen.

3. Back Extension. Start by laying down on your stomach and then start contracting your back muscles. This will help work out muscles along your spine.

4. Arm Sweep. Sitting down in a slightly leaned-back position, the outstretched arms are moved in a helicopter like circle, twisting your upper body back and forth around your hips. This targets the external obliques.

5. Plank or Push-Up. This exercise strengthens the transverse abdominals (muscles that are deep within your abdomen and are wrapped around the spine). These muscles are most responsible for stabilizing your spine so they are necessary to help avoid back pains.

Balancing these exercises will allow you to focus on each muscle group in each exercise while currently building the whole core stability package. When you first start core stability training, it might be best to hire a personal trainer to get optimal results. A personal trainer can also help you work more advanced core stability exercises to develop and keep solid core strength.

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