Core and Functional Training

We all rely on our bodies to get us out of bed, lift our children, perform our job and perform daily tasks.
Our limbs provide us with mobility and aid us in everything from brushing our teeth to sitting down, however, it is our core (muscles) that provide us the basis of each and every movement. Sedentary lives cause our body core muscles to weaken therefore subject them to possible strain or injury. Overuse of some of those muscles may also lead to strain or injury (core imbalance).

What is my “Core”?

Your core is the mid section of your body, from your pelvis to your shoulders. The core includes pelvic, abdominal, back and chest muscles. There are many layers ranging from superficial, intermediate, core, that offer stability, balance and flexibility. Every movement one makes originates from the core- whether you are brushing your hair or swimming twenty laps in the pool. The core must be conditioned without limitations in order to be fully functional. Fully functional means all core muscles work together as a team, firing in sequence without consequence of injury.

Working your core muscles guarantees affective movement from day to day activity to strenuous physical activity. Conversely, most exercise routines focus on building superficial muscle before even developing core muscles.

Strengthening my Core

Today, an experienced professional trainer will create a customized routine to enhance their clients’ abilities to develop their proper core muscles. The exercises and products(tools) used to strengthen your body core, do so by creating resistance or instability so that the core muscles may respond to maintain a good balance. Alignment of the body through spinal stabilization is key to identify safe and effective exercise prescription. Popular tools used today range from Stability ball, Bosu, TRX, kettle bells, Foam rollers, Versa discs, etc.

Good core strength is important at every age and fitness level. Whatever your goals, be sure to incorporate core conditioning into your routine, thus avoiding strain and injury.

Functional Training

One of the biggest misconceptions with core training and functional training is that it is mid-section training and all you have to do are some crunches or even worse hyperextensions and your core will be stronger and leaner. Professionals should know better. In essence, “functional” simply translates to the training of function/daily uses of the body or just training our bodies as they were designed to move. Common sense is the key; we should move our bodies as they were designed to function and allow them to improve through progression and repetition.

In order to enhance the integrity of the core, what we are really doing is developing better dynamic postural control, increasing muscular balance, a greater degree of neuromuscular and biomechanics efficiency and building or rebuilding structural endurance and stabilization, strength and power.

So rather than put our bodies in odd looking machines, we should use movements that are relative to our activities or our sport or more specifically, we should just use movements that keep our bodies free to move as we target various muscle groups.

At Prescriptive Fitness Training Studio, we use some of the most advanced training tools available to better serve our clients.

For more information about Prescriptive Fitness, please contact us.