Core Stability, Core Exercises, Swiss Ball, Abs

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CORE STABILITY; NOT JUST FOR ATHLETES
by Mark Alderson, CSCS

www.MaxPerformanceTraining.com

Core stability is an important, but often neglected part of a person or athletes training regimen. Sometimes it's hit on with crunches or sit ups or lumbar extensions, but that simply isn't enough. Core stability involves all of the muscles of the midsection, including: including your abdominal wall, spinal erectors, internal and external intercostals, external obliques, psoas, etc. Core Stabilization provides you with the support necessary to properly complete activities from minor daily activities such as walking or sitting, to more advanced activities involving sports or exercise. This in turn helps you avoid excessive wear and tear on your spine, discs, as well as increase your efficiency of movements. Core stabilization can also help you prevent further injury. Instability can lead to a variety of conditions and injuries, which can have grave consequences on your quality of life, and daily activities.

Poor core stability and sub-system strength and endurance often leads to poor posture, poor lifting technique, and unnecessary wear and tear on your lumbar spine and discs. These adverse effects may lead to other unhealthy adaptations by your body, and negative effects on your bodies systems, similar to a damaged foundation on a house, leading to various other problems with the structure.

Potential Energy / Power / Strength

Without maximizing your core stability, you are wasting potential power, strength and energy, while increasing your Swiss ball, fitness ball, abs, abdominal exercise, best ab exercise, core stability, core stabilization susceptibility to preventable degenerative conditions and injuries. Lets look at an analogy. Much like a plow truck, you need to have a strong core (in the plows case, the frame that bolts it to the truck). Without a strong core, you cannot transfer power through your body as efficiently. You could think of a squat as an example. You have to transfer power up from your lower body, through your core, to reach the weight. If you do not have maximum core stability, you will not be able to transfer as much power, therefore, limiting your power and strength in the squat. This is much like if the frame of the plow were weak, but the plow blade and truck were strong. The frame wouldn't transfer the pushing power of the truck to the plow to move the snow as efficiently.

So you understand you need to add a core stabilization component to your training regimen, but what are some effective ways to do it? There are many ways to build core stability. Swiss balls are an highly misunderstood, but highly effective tool for building core stability!

Why Use A Swiss Ball?

If you are like most people, you are probably wondering what good that simple, inflated rubber or vinyl ball can really do for you. Perhaps you have tried expensive equipment with no success. Admittedly, the Swiss Ball does appear simple. It is this simplicity that is the key behind its use. By completing activities on the ball, you are removing your solid base of support. Removing the solid base causes your nervous system to work overtime in an attempt to stabilize your body. This proprioceptive adaptation your body goes through, results in increased muscle activity. So the principle is simple: Decrease your base leading to increased muscle activity which results in increased adaptation.

SWISS BALL KEY BENEFITS:
Inexpensive & Affordable
Simple & Effective.
Light weight.
Can be used in the convenience of your own home.
Versatile enough to use for whole body workouts.
Take up very little storage space.
Increase Core Stability.
Increase Balance and Coordination
Increase overall performance and potential.
Decrease injury potential.
Reduce back pain through stronger core stabilizer muscles.

The Swiss Ball is arguably the cheapest, most convenient and effective tool for developing core stability, and improving overall health, and function in day to day living as well as sports. Ignoring core stability is like building a house, with cheap foundation materials. Eventually the weight will start to damage the foundation, which will then cause problems with the rest of the house.

Swiss Balls can be found at www.performbetter.com or www.power-systems.com. Be certain to purchase a swiss ball made for someone your height. There are height charts on those websites. Common sizes are 55 cm, 65 cm and 75 cm. Do not simply pick up the cheapest one you run across at a department or sporting goods store. As always, get proper instruction and seek advice from your doctor prior to commencing any new exercise program.