Human body has divided in several terms one being upper limbs (upper body) and another being lower limb (lower body). We generally concentrate on fat loss, various fitness components, medical health, some of professional and sports related goals in health and fitness criteria but there is one more thing which is neglected area in the body most of the time and that is CORE.

 

What is core?

The “core” is comprised of several groups of muscles including the transversus, abdominus, multifidus, diaphragm and pelvic floor muscles. These muscles work together to produce maximum stability in the abdominal and lumbar (lower) back region, as well as coordinate the movement of the arms, legs, and spine. Engaging these muscles is not something that most people do consciously, therefore it is important to learn how to effectively co-contract these muscles while performing these rehabilitation exercises.

For example, Place two fingers on the bones on the front of your hips. Move your hands in an inch towards your belly button and down and inch towards your toes. You should now be directly over the transversus abdominus muscle. When you contract your core correctly, you should feel a gentle tightening under your fingers, as if you took in your belt one extra notch. If the muscles under your fingers start to “dome”, then you are contracting too much and compensating with larger muscle groups.

It is important to learn how to engage your core in various positions as well as during activity to provide maximum stability for your spine.

According to reconditioning of the body, exercise plays biggest role in core strength also, core strength helps in :

• Postural development 

• Body balance

• Spine health

• Lean stomach and lower body limbs

• Preventing various stomach diseases

• Sacroiliac health and relative strength

• Lower back discs strength   

 

There are some concerns amongst fit people as well as those who lead sedentary life style. People complain about low back pain. It is important to understand why there is back pain irrespective of good exercises. Can we say a person is fit when his body is fit, has no obesity, has fitness components; but has back pain?

Its a big NO. Because his or her core health is not good and hence the person is not completely fit.

 

Back pain is a serious issue in todays world. It creates a lot of problems in our daily activity such as pain while sitting and standing, problems in various body movements, can't do running and jumping activities, sometimes severe damage in lower back or in the spine, inactivity in lower limbs and more.

Low back pain can be the result of many different things. Pain can be triggered by some combination of overuse, muscle strain, and/or injuries to the muscles, ligaments, and discs that support the spine. Over time, a muscle injury that has not been managed correctly may lead to an overall imbalance in the spine. This can lead to constant tension on the muscles, ligaments, bones, making the back more prone to injury or re-injury.

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Since lower back pain can be caused by injury to various structures in the spine and its supporting structures, it is important to consult your physician if you have had back pain lasting longer than 1-2 weeks. Your physician can provide a diagnosis and explain what structure is injured so that your physical therapist or athletic trainer can guide you as to which exercises are appropriate for your specific injury. Each diagnosis are treated with different protocols, therefore it is important that you consult a medical professional before beginning any strenuous rehabilitation program. Low back exercises and flexibility can be the best treatment option for almost all types of back problems as it is likely to help restore balance in the spine.

 

Lower back exercises concentrate on strengthening with the abdominal muscles, to be able to give stabilization of the spine. Rehabilitation programs or preventative rehabilitation programs that focus on strengthening lumbar muscles combined with core stability and proprioception will reduce the risk of low back pain if exercises are done correctly, and on a regular basis.

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The Lumbar/Core Strength and Stability
GB Fitness designs the Program that can be utilised as preventative rehabilitation or if you are recovering from an injury. The program includes flexibility and strengthening section. Flexibility should be done at least 5 times a week, and the strengthening section should be done 3-4 times a week. The program is divided into levels of “Easy”, “Medium”, and “Difficult”. It is recommended to start with the “Easy” exercises, and perfect them before moving onto “Medium” or “Difficult”.