Can you do 5 perfect balance tees on the bosu? If you wouldn’t be caught dead trying, maybe you should reconsider. Working on unstable surfaces is a great way to strengthen your core. Core training has been proven to help improve posture, reduce the risk of injury, and improve athletic performance.

When someone mentions core strengthening, most people think, “abs.” But, working your core is not simply about making your abs burn with crunches or even doing planks (for what feels like hours). Core training is about total conditioning for all the muscles that attach to your pelvis. As the heaviest bone in the body, the pelvis is the center of all movement. Working the muscles that attach to the pelvis is the equivalent of working all muscles encasing your torso from shoulder to thigh. The stronger these muscles are, the better you will be able to perform all movements. Also, exercises that strengthen core muscles involve stretching and balance routines that enhance flexibility. The stronger your core muscles are, the more likely you are to avoid muscular-skeletal pain and injury, particularly of the neck, back and hips.

The best approach to training your core is to think about how to work networks of muscles together – not isolating your muscles with separate or independent movements. That’s why the unstable surfaces of the BOSU, balance discs, wobble boards, and even movements on the TRX are great. They put your body in unstable movement patterns, forcing the deep muscles close to your pelvis and spine to tighten. Good core strengthening exercises typically involve lifting weights—and sometimes one’s own body—from a position that imposes a need for balance.

For a great article written by a convert to core training, check out Hit the Floor and Give Me a Dozen…Pillar Bridges by Kevin Helliker. Helliker states that Core-strengthening exercises seek to bolster all the muscles of the torso from top to bottom and front to back, creating a balance that improves posture and alignment. While I’m sure Helliker was impressed with the theory of core training, I’m guessing he wasn’t ready to sing it’s praises until he saw his own increased improvement on the treadmill, in his weight-training, and with his 5% decrease in body-fat.

The natural consequence of improving your core is improving your athletic performance and general level of fitness. And, adding core strengthening exercises into your workout regime can help keep it interesting. Check back again soon to see example of core-strengthening exercises. Send us comments, your favorite core strengthening exercises, or other sources of info you’ve found on core training. We’d love to hear from you.