Contrary to popular belief, your “core muscles” are not just the abdominals above your belly. They are a complex group of muscles running as a band from the top of your ribs to the top of your hips, all the way round.
Your core technically includes your pelvic floor muscles, your internal and external oblique, rectus abdominis, the erector spinae and multifidus, and all the deeper, smaller muscles in your trunk. This group of muscles or core protects the body, stabilizes your spine and pelvis and is your powerhouse for movement.
One way to test whether your core is weak is to hold a hollowing of your lower belly for ten seconds. Alternately, holding a plank position for fifty seconds. If you fail these tests, potentially, your core is weak.
How can you strengthen your core muscles?
Planks are a great (and some say the best) way to strengthen your core muscles. In addition – plank exercises strengthen many other parts of your body including your hip flexors, low back, pelvis, glutes, and, the shoulder girdle.
To improve poor posture, practicing planks and sitting with your core engaged and your shoulders pulled back can be effective. A little and often is best.
Having an arched lower back may also be a sign that your core muscles are weak. Over time, this pelvic tilt position can contribute to back, knee and hip pain or, may result in injury when lifting heavy items. Making planks a part of your morning routine can help!
Some people feel weak while jumping, throwing or doing a bicep curl. Again – this can indicate an untrained core. Exercises including planks can be improve this weakness as our core muscles stabilize our trunk. Once this is achieved – adding movement is considerably easier and power and strength is available to the other muscles providing this movement.
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