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The core is at the center of every way our body moves. If you don’t have a strong core, you will in turn experience poor posture and be more at risk for injury. To build a stronger core, try these 5 exercises that can help you correct your posture too.
Your Core and Posture
The postural muscles are located deep inside the abdomen, pelvis, and back. They act as a corset or scaffolding holding you together as you move. If you want good posture, it’s vital to maintain the health of these muscles. MS Trust explains that the abdomen is made up of four layers of muscles. The deepest layer is the transverse abdominis, is a band across your low stomach that holds the trunk of your body together. The top layers of the abdomen are what help you bend and twist the trunk.
The deep muscles only work correctly when your body is properly aligned. When it’s not, the weakness can lead to what seems like a never-ending cycle of injury, poor posture, or lack of exercise resulting in a weakened core. When the core can’t support your body as it should, other areas of your body work to make up for it, causing imbalance in your body. The more imbalanced you become, you will experience certain muscles becoming stronger while others become weaker, and that’s when pain comes in.
Common Reasons for Posture Misalignment
The causes of spinal misalignments are widely varied, however, some of the most common reasons our professionals at Texas Spine and Sports Therapy Center are:
- Repetitive use injuries from work or exercise
- Sitting for long periods of time, like working at a desk or driving your commute each day
- Postural dysfunction like Scoliosis
- Injury
- Weakened core muscles
Signs of Poor Posture
When you have poor posture, you will experience more than just back aches and pain. It can also lead to:
- Shoulder, elbow, and wrist pain
- Hip pain
- Migraines
- Knee pain
- Plantar fasciitis
- Ankle pain
- Jaw pain
5 Exercises to Strengthen the Core
Taking time to focus on your core strength goes beyond trying to develop a six-pack. Rather, focusing on your core can help you live a life free of pain caused by postural issues. If you are ready to work on your core, try these 5 exercises that can lead to a stronger abdomen:
1. Forearm Plank
This core exercise goes back to basics. The plank is a surefire way to light up your core and begin building that strength. Properly do this exercise by:
- Get in position like you are about to do a push up.
- Place your elbows on the ground right below your shoulders.
- Squeeze your glutes and core to keep your body in the proper position.
- If you are a beginner, hold for 30 seconds and then repeat. For more advanced work, hold your plank for 60 seconds.
2. Glute Bridges
Your glute muscles are an important part of your core. Glute bridges are a good way to relieve any low back you currently feel, while working several parts of your body with one move. Try this exercise by:
- Lying down on the floor, face up.
- Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor.
- With your arms beside you, squeeze your glutes and lift the hips off the ground. When your hips are up, your knees, hips, and shoulders should be in a straight line.
- Bring your hips slowly back to the ground, and repeat for 3 sets of 15 reps.
For this exercise, be sure you aren’t bringing your hips up too high. Everyone will have a different height they need to hit. Be sure you are keeping your body in that straight line.
3. Bird Dog
This exercise is a good reset for your entire body because it brings your attention back to your core, which helps keep you balanced for this exercise. To do this:
- Get on all fours with a neutral spine.
- Raise your right arm out in front of you while lifting your left leg out straight behind you.
- Hold the arm and leg out for two seconds, keeping your core tight.
- Slowly bring the right arm and left knee in for a crunch in the middle of the body.
- Lift the arm and leg back out before placing on the ground. Repeat on the second side. Do this exercise 10 times per side, moving slowly to feel the core connection.
4. Dead bug
This is another exercise that will require you to use your core to keep you balanced. Try this by:
- Lying on your back with your arms up towards the sky and your legs raised and knees bent.
- Slowly bring your left arm and right leg towards the ground until they are hovering just over the ground.
- Return to the starting position, and repeat on each side 10 times.
5. Bicycle crunches
This exercise will target your obliques. If you’ve never tried this exercise, all you need to do is:
- Lie on the ground, face up.
- Place your hands gently behind your neck for support.
- Lift your legs and bend your knees.
- Squeezing your core and making sure your lower back stays on the floor, bring the right elbow across your body as you bring your left leg in, meeting in the middle.
- Slowly repeat on both sides until you have done a total of 20 bicycle crunches.
Postural Therapy for Posture Pain
If these at-home exercises aren’t doing enough for your posture pain, get a strong core through postural therapy with Texas Spine and Sports Therapy’s help. Make an appointment with us today!
