SHAPE Get to the Core
ore strength is essential not only for your spine but for injury prevention and athletic performance. Creating core strength takes dedicated specifi c train- ing and is not typically improved with the usual body building exercises one might do at the gym. The spine is a fl exible column of bones
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(vertebrae) that is asked to bear loads while moving in many directions. Our spine not only allows movement, but it absorbs shock and protects our spinal cord too. It is one the most amazing pieces of engineering in the human body. According to Dr. Stuart McGill, who is “the” expert when it comes to core, the spine “requires a 3 dimensional wire system of muscles and fascia to stiffen and stabilize it when it is required to bear loads. Analysis of the muscular system, together with its associated fascia sheets reveals a clever system that creates bal- anced stiffness eliminating the possibility of buckling and injury.” The muscles of the core work together to support and stabilize both the torso and the spine. When muscles contract they create force and motion around a joint but also stabilize a joint creating “stiffness.” This stiffness created around a joint is what inherently helps protect the joint from injury and in the case of the core it would be the spine. When defi ning the muscles of the core, the muscles can be split into the local muscles that are the deepest, which maintain the curvature of the spine and re- spond to changes in posture, and the global muscles which are more superfi cial and originate off the thorax and pelvis. Creating core stiffness and strength is accomplished by training these muscles of global stabiliza- tion. These are the transverse abdominis, the internal oblique, external oblique, multifi - dus, rectus abdominis, quadratus lumborum and the erector spinae. While each of these muscles has its separate functions, together they create the stiffness and strength neces- sary to support the torso and spine. Think of life as an athletic event and the
repetitive activities that each of us perform daily are synonymous with the activities of a sport. The difference is that while many
would not think twice about training and exercise in preparation to compete, most would never think about training to go about daily life. Additionally, when injured an athlete would not think twice about getting treatment for an injury and follow that up with strengthening to prevent it from happening it again. However, many times the same is not true of those suffering from back pain. It can take multiple episodes before fi nally addressing the issue of core weakness. Once an injury happens, pain and often immobilization of the area are the results, followed by further de-conditioning and failure of the muscles of stabilization. It can be a viscous cycle if the inherent weak- ness is not corrected. For some, the issue of avoiding train- ing the core lies more in not having the knowledge, than not having the motivation. As I mentioned earlier, training the core takes dedicated specifi c training which is different than what most are accustomed too. For many, the mistake is made with using poor technique or trying to train the muscles of stabilization the same as you would those that create movement. Core muscles must sustain contractions over long periods of time to maintain support and stability. This is best accomplished by using isometric contractions, which means creating muscle tension without a change in muscle length. To practically demonstrate it, put both hands on a wall and push as hard as you can. You just created muscle tension, but the wall did not move so there was no change in muscle length. While there are many exercises in
which I recommend people perform for core stability, the initial one I train people with is abdominal tightening or bracing. Abdominal bracing is an important com- ponent of spine stability and is used as the foundation for all the other exercises I teach to promote the core. For the technique, lie fl at on your back with your knees bent and tighten your abdomen, as if “bracing for a punch to the gut.” You should feel not only the muscles of your abdomen contract but those of your spine as well. Practice holding the contraction starting with 10 seconds and
increase incrementally up to 90 seconds as you get stronger. If you are currently suffer- ing from an acute spinal injury or condition, you can still perform the bracing, but it is important not to exacerbate your condition. Perform the bracing at a ¼ to ½ of maximal effort and slowly increase your exertion level as your condition improves. An issue that arises when teaching
abdominal bracing is controlling your breathing through your diaphragm while keeping the muscles contracted. The major- ity of people I encounter breathe paradoxi- cally, pulling the chest up to take a breath in; rather than pulling the breath into the diaphragm expanding it fi rst, before fi lling the chest with air. Learning and training diaphragm breathing is an important part of training the core, and luckily can be easily done with practice. Take one hand and place it on your chest and the other hand over the stomach. To emphasize breathing through the diaphragm, take a breath in and consciously raise the hand over the stomach fi rst before the one over your chest rises. The goal is to both brace your abdomen and control your breathing at the same time. Once you have the bracing and diaphrag- matic breathing mastered you are on your way to improving the core and moving on to more challenging exercises. Remember, whether or not you are an elite athlete or just a weekend warrior, core training is an integral part of any exercise program. Having a strong supportive core is an essential part of not only injury preven- tion but performance too.
Dr. Jim Hendricks is a doctor of chiroprac- tic at Freeport Integrated Health Center in Freeport and has been in practice for 15 years. His undergraduate education is in Sports Biology and he is Certifi ed Strength and Conditioning Specialist. His main focus of care is musculoskeletal injuries and pain with a special interest in sports injuries. For more information go to
www.freeporthealth. com. See ad on page 25.
DR. JIM HENDRICKS
www.EssentialLivingMaine.com
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