Muscle Core Exercise

Muscle core is important as it keeps you body stable and balanced. In sports its the base in which majority of actions are performed from. So muscle core exercise is very important in majority of sports and general daily exercices.


Core muscles are the muscles found at the obliques, abdominals, lower back, and the glutes. These four areas of the body are the ones that usually frame the posture of a person and makes up base for actions like kicking, tackling and sprinting.


The benefits of exercising core muscles are

• Prevents injuries
• More control over power activities
• Maintains balance/stability
• Improves posture
• Improves coordination of movements
• Improves breathing techniques

The main muscle core exercise is the Plank

The other main exercises for the core are
Bicycle maneuver
Captain's chair

Crunches on exercise ball

Reverse crunch swiss ball

Bridges
Oblique Twist
Lunge with Twist
Supermans
Hamstring Stretches

The reality though for muscle core exercise you should add a swiss ball. As the body responds to the instability of the ball to remain balanced which engages more of the core muscles. Those muscles become stronger over time to keep balance. As there are so many muscles involved with core muscles its very hard to specifically try and exercise each muscle thats why using a swiss ball is much more beneficial

If you want to try and exercise each of the core muscles below is list of all muscles that make up the core muscles.

Stomach:

Transverse abdominals: These are the deepest of the stomach muscles and are also considered as the most important for a strong core. The main job is to create a strong core link between upper and lower body

Exercises
Vacuum Exercise
Plank Pose
Scissor kick



Obliques: These muscles are positioned slightly to the sides of our waists and link all the way up to the rib cage. They will help with the core and movements involving twisting and tilting at the waist

Exercises
Captain's chair
Bicycle maneuver
Side Plank Raises
Swiss Ball Oblique Crunches
Knee Pumps
The Killer Twists
Dumbbell Side Dips



Rectus Abdominus: The 6 pack: which sits on top of the other stomach muscles and down the centre from the rib cage to the pubis bone. Its main job is to keep the pelvis in line which in turn protects the spine

Exercises
Bicycle maneuver
Captain's chair
Crunches on exercise ball
Reverse crunch swiss ball



Back:

Erector Spinae: These are in fact very small muscles that run up your whole spine on both sides. Main job is to keep you upright but they also help with the twisting and bending of your trunk.

Exercises

• Bent-over row (unsupported)
• Deadlift
• Hyperextension
• Good-morning
• Pull-up (exercise) (back arched)
• Rowing
• Squat
• Uttanasana

Hip:

Iliopsoas: Also known as your hip flexor muscles. Help raise the upper leg upwards.

Exercises
Hanging Leg Raise
Lying Leg Raise
Swiss ball knee tuck (refer above clip with swiss ball)
Lying scissors kick

Stretch
Hip Flexor Lunge muscle stretch
Iliopsoas stretch

Gluteus Maximus: Your bum muscles basically and one of the biggest muscles in your body. It plays a major part in moving the legs during running, walking etc and is very important for good posture, which in turn is essential for a strong core. These muscles tend to be very weak on most people and therefore should be worked on.

Exercise
Lying hip extension
Step ups
Prone Leg Lift
Squats
Deadlift
quadriped hip extension


Gluteus Medius and Minimus: Main jobs are to take your leg out to the side and to rotate the whole leg outwards.

Exercises
Side-lying hip abduction
Hip Hike
Straight Leg Raise
Glute Stretch



Legs:

8. Hamstrings: These are definitely not considered part of the core muscles, The tighter your hamstrings the bigger the negative influence on your core strength. A very important muscle to stretch.

PNF Hamstring Stretch
Supine Hamstring Stretch
Top stretching exercises


So to build a better core you will need both exercises to strengthen and stretch the muscles in the core. The more I read about core strength the more I can see the importance of muscle core exercises in athletic performance.