Posted on: Friday, March 18, 2005
Core training could curb injuries
By Nanci Hellmich
USA Today
Fitness guru Jack LaLanne has pushed people to strengthen the muscles in their bellies, backs and hips for years. So have physical therapists and personal trainers.
Gannett News Service Two exercises are from the American Council on Exercise: • Supine trunk curl: Start with the top of the ball beneath the center of the back. Press the lower back into the ball and tighten the abdominals as you curve the rib cage toward the pelvis. Slowly return to the starting position. • Supine oblique curl: Start with the top of the ball beneath the center of the back, then stagger feet and rotate hips to one side. Anchor the lower hip to the ball and move the rib cage at a diagonal direction toward the legs (for example, right elbow to left inner thigh). Keep your neck and pelvis stable. — Los Angeles Times It's an element of many Pilates, yoga and other popular fitness programs. Sports-medicine researchers are conducting studies to determine whether building a strong torso can help prevent knee injuries, backaches, ankle injuries and other problems.
Some experts say that having a firm and stable core — the trunk and hip region — helps the other muscle groups and limbs move more effectively in both daily living and athletic performance, says Cedric Bryant, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit group that certifies fitness professionals.
Many experts believe people with a weak core have poor posture. Those with strong core muscles can function better in all aspects of their daily lives, so they are better able to lift groceries out of the trunk of a car, carry a toddler, or lift luggage and place it in the overhead compartment on an airplane, Bryant says.
"Everybody could use a stronger core," says Mary Lloyd Ireland, an orthopedic surgeon and president of the Kentucky Sports Medicine Clinic.
Bert Mandelbaum agrees. He is an orthopedic surgeon in Santa Monica, Calif., and a physician for the U.S. soccer team. "You are only as strong as your weakest link," he says, "so if you have a weak abdomen, you are setting yourself up for possible injuries."
He and Ireland are researching whether core strengthening can reduce knee injuries in female athletes. They believe that women often have weaker hips and abdomens and therefore are more prone to kneecap injuries and ACL (knee ligament) tears. These injuries sometimes occur when athletes come down from a jump or fall, landing straight and hard without bending their knees, Ireland says. Although athletes are encouraged to bend their knees during sports, it's difficult to do for long periods of time without adequate core strength, she says.
There are a variety of techniques and equipment, including special fitness balls, resistance bands, machines and challenging floor exercises, Ireland says.
She recommends seeing a licensed physical therapist, certified athletic trainer or certified personal trainer for a few sessions to get the right exercises for your body. Or she suggests checking out Pilates and yoga classes and DVDs that stress core training.
To feel the core muscles in your abdomen, sit up straight and pull your stomach in, as if you are trying to touch your belly button to your spine. "It almost feels like you are arching your back like an angry cat," Ireland says.
Now everyone's talking about an exercise regimen called "core strength training," or core stabilization, that targets those muscles.
Pilates emphasizes core strength training through positions such as The Hundred. While elevating the legs, use trunk muscles to push the lower back to the floor while pumping the arms 100 times.
WORK THOSE AB MUSCLES WITH STABILITY BALL
