In a previous article, I talked about “Engaging Your Powerhouse”. Your powerhouse is your core, the muscles that provide stabilization and support to the spine. A strong core can help to prevent and even treat back pain and it is important in every task you may do suring the day and even provides support when you are sleeping.
Lack of strength in your core can cause everything from back pain to problems in your knees, hips, calves and upper back. It throws your center of balance off, leaving the large muscles in the rest of your body to do all the work, putting them at jeopardy of being injured.
There are three stages involved in strengthening your core muscles.
Learn to contract your deep core muscles so that you can effectively isolate them when moving n to the next step. This can take some perserverance but is well worth it. Without moving your back, or pelvis, draw your stomach up gently – try to bring your belly button up towards your back. This is a very subtle movement and does not involve your “six pack muscles”. Don’t squeeze up your entire abdomen, instead just let your belly button move. Keep trying, you will get it!
This movement should not hamper your ability to breathe in.
Once you have accomplished this technique practice holding it for 4 or 5 seconds. You can now move on to Stage 2
Using the same technique you learned in stage one, you will now begin to increase your endurance and hold the same contraction for an increasingly longer perior of time. Begin with 10 seconds and repeat 10 times. Your goal is to increase your ability to hold this contraction for 5 minutes. Increase from 10 seconds to 15, to 30 and so on, until you have built up to the full 5 minutes. It may take you several weeks to acheive this, don’t give up! Practice it while standing in lines, washing the dishes, sitting on the couch.
Once you have acheived the ability to hold this for 5 minutes at a time, you can move on to stage 3.
The next article will discuss movements for Stage 3 and if all goes well, a few videos! I look forward to seeing you soon!
