Do we have to work our Core?

An interesting article appeared in the Times on 10th August entitled- ‘The core stability myth- its taken ten years to discover that the founding principles of Pilates are flawed,’ according to Peta Bee. As many of you know core stability training has become very popular over the last 10 years or so as a weak core was linked to a greater risk of back problems. Many classes and fitness training generally (not just pilates) has been devoted to theideaof having a strong core but many of you have heard me say how the core or abdominal area needs to work as a whole (with the rest of the body) and not just in isolation. The brain prefers to activate the whole body via the nervous system rather then isolate individual areas.  There is now growing evidence that the original research on the core and back was flawed. Stuart McGill Professor of spinal biomechanics at the University of Waterloo in Canada is quoted ‘too much emphasis is placed on working the transversus abdominis (TVA- deep muscle in the abdominals) and if people follow that advice they are misguided and will not achieve better movement or less pain’. McGill’s concern is the drawing in or hollowing of the stomach taught in many classes which has been shown to destabilise the spine. It is not, in my opinion, that such classes are useless but we have over concentrated on just working the core. Inevitably, we should be putting healthfirst and many classes that encourage too many exercises laying on the floor will burn very few calories and will not elevate the heart rate enough to improve its fitness.  Many of you will appreciate that for many years I have encouraged working the core withtherest of the body with big exercises like squats and using medicine balls. You will also know I am against using crunches/situpswhich encourage poor posture and switch off your core muscles. Encouraging good posture at all times should help core functioning. Finally, I notice that the Times article suggests focusing on exercises that require balance, strength and stability such as squats, dead lifts and standing overhead press moves and guess what it suggests picking up- a medicine ball. Now where have you done those before?  By the way Joseph Pilate’s encouraged the use of weighted balls and ropes in his classes- now why aren’t they seen in modern Pilates classes?!

Kevin- Sept 2010

As an add on to this many ‘gadets’ have been created by the fitness world to encourage the core workout- balls, bosu’s, stability discs and other balance tools. Although, they all have a place in changing our workouts and in rehab they have also continued the mythof needing to just work the core. Our brain’s really want to activate as many muscles as possible and to get us to move in multi-directions. This is one of the problems of overusing resistance machines that they tend to only promote one dimensional movements, are non-functional and can increase the risk of injury. Picking up a weight and pressing it above your head along with a big exercise like a squat will work all your 620 muscles- which is excellent for energy, metabolism and therefore weight loss. A beautifully simple movement!

Kevin- 12/09/10