28 Jul How a strong abdominal core helps with your overall balance.

Abdominal Core

When people think of their abdominal core, they immediately think strong stomachs and abs, but what they might not be aware of is that the strength of their abdominal core relates directly to their ability to balance.

Your core muscles are the sturdy central connection between your lower and upper body. It doesn’t matter what kind of physical activity you are doing, whether it is crossing a slippery road in a rain storm, or taking part in Pilates, having a strong abdominal core is crucial for your ability to balance. Your core acts as a stabilizer for your entire body and it allows you to move in all different directions without injuring yourself and no matter what you are doing, the motions you are making either begin at your core or pass through it.

Not only does having a strong abdominal core contribute to your balance, but it affects your posture as well. Having weak core muscles can cause bad posture and slouching.

Your core is not one piece of your body, but a series of muscles including everything besides your arms and legs and is incorporated into almost every single movement of the human body. Therefore, your core doesn’t act as the primary moving force, but rather as the stabilizer and force transfer center.

The ability to stay balanced and stable is even more important for elderly people who are at risk of complications from falling. As you age, you lose bone density which makes falling a potentially life threatening situation. Focusing on your core when balance training will help keep you balanced as you move through everyday life. Staying balanced is also equally important to those who participate in sports and physical activities, specifically ones that take place on uneven ground like running does. A bad fall can mean an injury that keeps you off your feet for weeks.

Not only is having a strong abdominal core a benefit for your body, but getting that strong core is very beneficial too. Abdominal exercises train your pelvic, lower back, hips, and abdomen muscles to work together during all types of body movement.

Lake Country Physical Therapy and Sportscare, PC, is here to help and teach you how to work out your abdominal core and ensure that it says strong, balanced, and stabilized. Whether you are an athlete or not, balance is extremely important for overall health and longevity. See how we can help you!