Introduction
In my experience, maintaining a strong and healthy core is not only the best way to eliminate pain now but also prevent pain and injury in the future. If you have zero core strength, you feel like you can’t even use your core muscles. To build core strength, you have to activate your core first.
In this blog post, I will give steps on how to activate your core and then how to go into different positions, each a little bit harder than the last to progressively strengthen your core muscles. This is going to focus on your mind-muscle connection because that’s what’s important when it comes to strengthening your core.
Importance of building core strength
- A strong core supports the spine and pelvis, hence promoting excellent posture. This minimizes the likelihood of acquiring musculoskeletal ailments caused by bad posture.
- Core strength provides balance and stability to the entire body, reducing the risk of injuries, particularly in the lower back.
- A strong core is essential for athletes since it leads to improved performance in sports and physical activities. It boosts power output, movement control, and endurance.
- The core includes the diaphragm, a major muscle involved in breathing. A stronger core might help you breathe more efficiently.
- Core strength aids in performing everyday tasks more efficiently, such as lifting, bending, and twisting. It helps in the proper execution of exercises and other physical activities.
Now that you know the importance of building a strong core, let’s dive into the steps on how to build core strength:
Step 1:
Lie down on the ground and press the lower back into the ground as much as you can. This is going to force your pelvis to tilt upwards and elongate the spine, you might even feel your core muscles working a little bit just as you’re trying to press the lower back into the ground.
One thing to ensure is that you don’t have to suck your belly in as you try to press your lower back into the ground, instead take your fingers and put them between your belly button and hips. Push those fingers out with your belly and then push the lower back into the ground.
What this does is strengthen the core and stabilize the spine. That belly button is drawn in towards your spine that’s going to activate your deepest core layer.
Step 2:
When you master step 1, you can make it harder by lifting one or both of your legs and holding that position with your knees up towards the sky.
If you can hold that position for 30 seconds while pushing your fingers out with your belly and pressing your lower back into the ground, then you should extend the legs a little bit until you have about a 90-degree angle from the thigh to the lower leg and hold the position for 30 seconds.
Step 3:
When you can master step 2, then you can straighten the legs as much as you can almost to a vertical axis and hold the position for 30 seconds. Now, slowly drop your legs and hold the position and then drop it further and hold.
Eventually, you can lift your arms overhead and hold this nice position that gymnasts call the hollow position which is one of the best movements for strengthening the core.
Conclusion
You don’t have to do every single step of this at once, instead think of this as a journey from not feeling like you have a strong connection with your core to having a strong core and a strong mind-muscle connection with it.
Start with just learning how to create that intra-abdominal pressure, brace the core, push the lower back on the ground then lift the legs and each step of the way you might take a week or two or even a month to get through it.
So, have some patience but if you do this, your body is going to feel amazing because when you can activate those core muscles, you can move your body better and you eventually feel better in the process.
Just remember, Fitness is not a sprint, but a marathon. Take satisfaction in gradual progress and remember that the journey to strength is as important as the destination.
Thank you for reading! Comment below with your thoughts and suggestions.
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