One Hundred & One Exercises.

by

Subtitle: Dont panic.  We dont have to do em all today.  One at a time & today it’s core.  And lord knows Miz needs more core work.

Thanks Rupal for stopping by & leading the way!

Hi Bumbling Band. Before I start core-talking here’s a little info on me I am a licensed physical therapist aiming to shed some rehabilitative knowledge in the health and fitness arena. I truly believe that with a little added knowledge, a dash of function and the right dose of motivation, fitness can be the key to MOVING better, PLAYING better and LIVING better.

It’s more than just a washboard!

So you’re on a plane.
Destination: Maldives islands.
Sun screen? Check.
Itty bitty bikini? Check.

Only one problem, the journey to paradise consequently puts you on a plane for some 15 hours, during which time, you pray that you will not have to venture into that too-small-for-small-people, only-one-in-the-cabin, and wish-I-hadn’t-ended-up-behind-that-guy bathroom.

You brave it despite your good judgment, only to find yourself hovered over the toilet seat when…oh no, turbulence! You brace yourself and hope for calmer skies. You finish your business and hand it over to the next victim, but not before flashing a knowing glance suggesting the perils that lie within.

You’re probably wondering what I could possibly be alluding to… your core, silly!  Let me explain, see in mid-hover, you’re inevitably forced to brace with all that God gave you to avoid the nasty germs.  Yep, that’s right… your core hard at work for you, my friend.

Core stability involves activating a set of muscles in the torso to evenly distribute forces through the spine, pelvis, and shoulders. The stiffness provided through the co-contraction of this musculature gives support to the spinal segments, thus allowing our extremities to move freely.

In this case, while our trunk rigidly holds us upright, we can reach around for the grab bar to prevent a head-first crash into the door. Furthermore, power is generated from the inside out, so a stronger core lends to greater power (think golf, baseball, soccer, tennis, football, etc.).

The muscles can be divided into a deep and superficial layer. The deep layer serves to increase stability of spinal segments and is activated under low load conditions. These muscles are ‘on’ during all forms of movement and serve as the foundational basis for force generation.

The job of the superficial layer is to serve under moderate to heavy loads to transfer and distribute forces towards a common goal.  They are active in a phasic manner. Translation: they turn on and off based on task demand. The sequential activation of these muscles is essential in order to allow for functional movement patterns to develop.

Studies have shown individuals who suffer chronic low back pain have decreased activation of their deep layer of muscles lending to spinal instability. Even if you don’t suffer from back pain, postural abnormalities can also lead to poor activation of these essential muscles.

So why is this important to you? Well, not only will it assist you in avoidance of public toilet disasters, core stability is literally the fundamental component to all movement. This means that whether you are reaching around to pick a wedgie, screw in a light bulb, drive a car or change the channel on the telly, the order of control goes something like this:

Central Command: {active during all hours to maintain posturing and provide troubleshooting}
Conscious: “Your underwear is way up your crack, buddy.  Let’s remedy that problem.”
{sends info to central command}
Central Command: {activate core muscles for stabilization}
{activate Right arm for dubious reach around duty}
{right arm performs action}
Conscience: Wedgie aborted. Phew!

You see, so while we stare endlessly at Abercrombie models, allow the media to infiltrate our minds regarding our perceptions of beauty, ahem, six pack, anyone? Our core actually serves a much higher purpose than just helping you pick up the chicas’.

It is our key to diminish back pain, prevent injury, train more effectively, and generate greater power through our arms and legs!  Now, this is edging in on my ever-loving topic of using our training to help us feel better, move better, and live better so I will leave you here. Thanks for tuning in!

When you think of your motivating factors for exercise, does better function fit into that category? Or are you obsessed with the aesthetic nature of it all? Maybe you’re a health-guru who hopes to live a long life via proper exercise habits.

Sources:
Hides JA, Jull GA, Richardson CA.  Long-term effects of specific stabilization exercises for first episode low-back pain.  Spine. 2001 26(11):e243-e248.

Hodges PW, Richardson CA. Contraction of the abdominal muscles associated with movement of the lower limb. Physical Therapy. 1997 77(2):133-144.

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Comments

  6. Fun post and I love that you aren’t good at something Miz.
    I have watched your core videos a bunch of times because it helps me that you struggle to improve something, too.

  7. Hey Rupal,
    Fixed the post/added the bio.

    Im now on my thumbs so COMMENT if it didnt ‘take’ and Ill try again when I lunge past the computer!

    Miz.

  11. I thought this was going to be followed up with an exercise video called “the toilet hover.”

    I started out on this whole fitness thing because I was tired of having chronic low-back pain. I used to chug down 16 Advil a day minimum.

    Now I’m the Ab Queen of the Y. Nope, no six-pack, but my core is rock solid underneath that loose skin, and my back never quits on me anymore.


  12. While you work your core join us at TWITTER.

    I’m starting TODAY I WILL thursdays.

    Not into twitter? Read the tweets here.

    Wanna be into twitter?

    http://www.twitter.com

    Create a profile.

    Follow me.

    I’m @carlabirnberg

    Confused?

    You know what to do…please to hit me up below.

    And please to return to Rupal.

  13. D’Mamma was typing while I was.

    And I wanna say read and reread her comment and get *excited* for an upcoming D’Mamma video.

  14. Okay, I’m THE trainer people go to for advice on the core. And thanks to good genetics, youth and a hardcore training schedule, my abs are pretty fantastic.

  15. Great post – I like explanations that give real like examples. I guess I kind of knew how our core muscles worked but now I can visualize it and FOCUS.

    Thanks!

  17. Excellent guest you have here today Miz!

    Hey Rupal! So…I’m on that plane – but I’m not packing no itty bitty bikini! No way! No way! No way!!

    The core work, though, I’m with you there! Now I should go get some of that core work in…

    Awesome stuff!!

  19. I’m more than happy that we have given this part of the body a real name for anyone working on diet and exercise. Years past this was just workout your body, or get your midsection or worse yet, your midriff in shape. (I never could get the drift with the mid part) Using the name core gives a feeling of something central that controls all else. Of course I now I think of Mr. Potato Head and attaching all the body parts to the “core”.

    Love Rupal and her insight into the body and movement.

  20. Camping is also another reason a girl needs a good core… Rustic pit toilets can make the airplane bathroom look surgically clean.

    Evan? Twitter, IMHO, is commercials!

    …we have pinkeye at my house again…I think the boys are bringing it home from our health club!

  21. Great post, Rupal. (And good choice for the guest, MizFit.)

    Normally, when I’m reading or hearing about core work and why it’s important, my eyes glaze over while my mind wanders off for supper planning. Not so this time. With the breakdown of the different muscles and detailed description of how they work together for wedgie fixing, I actually read the whole post.

    I’m not going to like core work anymore today than I did yesterday, but I go into my crunches with new focus and determination – perfecting the airplane toilet seat hover.

  22. Great guest post, Rupal! Thanks so much for this – it is just what I am in therapy for. (Ha, everyone thought I was in the “other” kind of therapy, didn’t they?)

    Perfecting my “nasty toilet” hover. Goin’ camping with Marianne…… 🙂

    Marianne – shall I send you some of the spray we use on the cows when they have pinkeye?

  24. Great post! I rediscovered how important my core was when I bruised (cracked?) my ribs last year in a bike crash. Could barely do anything without a lot of pain. I say rediscovered because when I strained a lower back muscle many years ago, same thing. Hurt to do nearly everything.

    The core is key!

  25. Better function definitely is one of the reasons I exercise. After numerous injuries (none of which were actually sports-related, thank you very much), I find that I have to exercise to keep the pain away. Strengthening is the one thing that keeps everything working properly so I don’t over-compensate for my injuries by injuring something else. With that said, I’m off to do my workout, much of which is courtesy of the PT’s who have helped me over the years.
    Teresa
    http://www.recipecomparison.com

  27. Love it and love Rupal! Great information.

    My core strength totally came in handy when I was on the night train from Istanbul to Thessaloniki. the “toilet” was a hole in a room. There was no light. The train was moving. I tell you, that’s some serious skill to balance in that situation!

  28. Twitter ROCKS! And yeah, it’s a total timesuck. But it still rocks. 🙂

    Great post! I do love learning the science behind the sweat. I had no idea how weak my core was until I started doing Jillian’s circuits…and no idea how much difference it would make when I started strengthening it. So many of my aches and pains have gone away since my posture and balance (all from the core of course) have improved.

    And of course it’s always nice to have some muscle definition in the abs for aesthetic reasons. But honestly, mostly I just like being able to do Russian twists without screaming in agony the whole time.

    V.

  29. I’m a consistent follower of Rupal’s excellent work at 101 Exercises!

    With my origins in karate training, I was exercising the core before I knew I had one 🙂

  30. Thanks for having Rupal come over Miz.
    I’m adding her to my reader.

    I love twitter and love your idea of Today I Will Thursdays.

    Now I need to find what I will do.

    Mia

  32. Hahahaha! Gotta love the real life examples used here… nothing like nasty toilets and wedgies to get one to work their core.
    🙂

    And weirdly enough, I always thought Rupal was a man – known only to me as a commenter here, since I never visited the blog. No offense!
    😉

  33. I used to have to double pump and use my arms to help push me out of a sitting position – at my most out of shape and heaviest. Working on my core with my stability ball has worked wonders. Core work is also whittling away the flab on my abs. I esp. like core work on my obliques – I’m weird like that.

  35. This is really good information, and a great resource! I hurt my back last year and ended up at a physical therapist who started out giving me ‘core’ exercises to do. And I was shocked at how extremely weak (absent) my core muscles were, because I had been walking/running, working out w/free weights, and doing ‘stomach crunches’ for over a year.

    I have a question. I’m not sure why, but I find most of the core/ab exercises she gave me (similar to the ones I saw over at Rupal and Fitsugar) very unpleasant to do. Is that just the way it is, or does it improve after doing them for a long time.

    BTW, either the exercises or time helped because my back completely improved. I have to admit to a bit of an ache re-occurring now, and am trying to re-up the exercises…

  37. Great post, and I loved the explanation of what was going on with both bathroom turbulence and wedgie remediation!

    I’m someone who thinks first of aesthetics, then, when I injure my back (about once a decade, but when I do it’s usually a doozy) I start wanting to get functional.

    Gosh, maybe I should think about getting functional BEFORE I injure my back again?

  40. Great post! I thought I was doing pretty well with my core..I do pilates and random core things as well as run. But THEN I discovered yoga. OH. MY. CORE.

  41. Thanks for the post!
    I second whoever said above that sometimes its nice to see that you struggle too Miz.

  42. I am obsessed with core work. It’s my favorite, not only because it makes me look nice, but it gives my running so much more power.

    And now I also know that it protects me from germs. Awesome.

  43. I’m all about function! Having strong abs definitely is helpful when running on icy streets. Or just plain when running. And since my abs are so rarely seen by anybody except my husband (who doesn’t really fetishize a six-pack, at least not as it refers to a body part), I need to have a motivation beyond looking good.

  44. having just come out after an hour and a bit with my trainer with a heavy focus on core work, can I just say that I really, really hate core work.

    But somehow it makes me feel taller and stronger.

  46. Well, everyone wants to look better, but I definitely have functional reasons for not neglecting the core in my workouts – it’s so important for posture! My poor posture and sitting all day at a desk led to a really painful, weeks-long neck muscle spasm that took physical therapy to work out. Plus, when I was a teenager I went through two (!) courses of Accutane for my skin (did NOT work), and in the process, the drug not only dried up my skin, but some fluid between my vertebrae, and now I definitely have back pain when I stand for longer than 2 hours or so. Definitely important to me to have as strong a core as I can manage! Thanks for this post.

    Diana 🙂

  48. Thanks, Miz and Rupal! I got a kick out of the guest post, and it’s comforting to know that my legs and core that are throbbing today from yesterday’s BodyPump class will do their stuff if I ever have to pee through the hole in the floor of a moving train…

    I hadn’t been to Rupal’s site before; I will definitely be giving it a closer read!

  49. great post! I need more core. Too much cardio and lifting, now I have a bulge in my back. I need to learn yoga and pilates. Never been a fan, but now I guess I need to.

  50. Oh, and meant to say, I think it’s more about function for me. I spent the past 13 years blithely ignoring the form and wincing from my bad back. So I know that it’s more likely that a sturdy 40-year-old body will emerge than the old 21-year-old college girl body. *sigh*…but on the other hand, 40-year-old me is sure getting more of a kick out of fitness than 21-year-old did!

  51. so agree pubsgal.
    The almost40 me is far less concerned with what others think and, as a result, has way more fitness fun.

  52. As I get older, I’m learning to appreciate function and the feeling of strength that comes with a strong core.

    I’ve always hated working my core, but now that I’m discovering yoga and pilates — and rediscovering dance — I’ve left my crunching days behind me.

  55. Okay, so now I won’t whine so much when my aerobics instructor makes us do the plank and the side plank. Those kill me!

    Thanks for the great info!

  56. I broke my ankle a year ago today. It broke the tibia and the fibula bone. It took 9 mo to heal. I am finally feeling like my Core is getting stronger!!
    Planks kill but I love them. Also passing ball from leg to arm down, then from arm to legs and down.

  57. Oh how I need this. Oh how I hate to do ab work. Sure could use less back pain though!

  58. I stopped doing abs awhile back because I jog (30 minutes, 5 days a week on a treadmilll) and I read that jogging gives abs a great workout. I have noticed that my abs are not as defined as they were a few months back, so I think I need to go back to doing abs. Bummer.

  59. I don’t know if my comment yesterday made it. But, thanks for helping me to connect with my rows better.

    A strong core is essential, so I’ve learned these past few years. Pilates Woman did much for helping me with that and still does.

    I do a variation of workouts. I think it best as I note different things use the body differently – aerobics [I like to keep that endurance & stamina up], pilates yoga, sculpting and then there’s the GoFit.

    The aerobics helps my coordination, the pilates yoga helps me to be more supple and does amazing things for the core and behind, and the sculpting adds a different type of toning & some strength training. I like the variety. I use the pilates posture & engaging of the core in everything I do. I thank Pilates Woman very much for that. I even use it while driving & runnning errands. Why not? I think about how I’m using my body. If I can give the abs a bit of a workout while bending for the kitty litter, I go for it.

  62. “When you think of your motivating factors for exercise, does better function fit into that category? Or are you obsessed with the aesthetic nature of it all?”

    I think for me it’s a combination of health and looks. It used to be more about looks in my twenties (I wanted to build muscle), but now I’m more focused on the health aspect.

  65. whenever i’ve flown.. i automatically scout out some “spaces” where I can throw in an impromptu yoga pose .. so I can stretch along the way… Maintains my core and sanity both 🙂

    gp in montana

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  1. […] One Hundred & One Exercises I’m not sure why, but I find most of the core/ab exercises she gave me (similar to the ones I saw over at Rupal and Fitsugar) very unpleasant to do. Is that just the way it is, or does it improve after doing them for a long time. […]

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