POSTURE AND CORE

Core Training
Core training is considered as the strengthening and
conditioning of the core muscles surrounding the mid-
section of our body—the abdomen, hips, pelvis, and
lower back. These muscles wrap and protect the spine
which is responsible for stabilizing and balancing the
body during movement. And also, core training refers to
core stabilization or balance training.
Fundamental Movement Skills

The Fundamental Movement Skills (FMS) are some of

the most common actions from childhood to adulthood.
FMS consists of three skills groups that define physical
literacy which are the non-locomotor, locomotor, and
manipulative skills.
Non-Locomotor
 Any movement that does not travel, but uses the
available space in any direction or movement organized
around the axis of the body (axial movement); bending,
twisting, stretching, and swinging is an examples of
axial movement.
Ex. Stretching, twisting, squats, lunge, balancing.
Locomotor
 Locomotor movement skills are those in which the
body is moved in one direction, or a combination of
directions, from one point to another. Activities such
as walking, jogging, moving forwards, backward,
side-shuffling, skipping, running, jumping, hopping,
and leaping are considered fundamental locomotion
movements.
Manipulative
Manipulative movements are movements that involve
the use of a body part like hands or feet to move or
manipulate an item. Manipulative movements can
include gross motor skills, like kicking or bouncing a
ball, or fine motor skills, like writing or coloring.
Manipulative motor skills are often important in sports.
 Assessments of Physical Activity and
Readiness
 Besides your movement skills competency, checking your current
levels of activity and fitness is crucial to determine the readiness of
your body for physical activities.
 Most of the Assessments being done are the PAR-Q where the
results of this test will determine if you have a medical problem
and need to address it as soon as possible.
 This assessment will be done before participating in the fitness test
or any physical activity.
 CORE MUSCLES
Rectus Abdominus

Abs for short, is the most well-known of the

core muscles.

• Responsible for:
• spinal flexion (forward bend)
• lateral flexion (side bend)
• forceful exhalation, which is achieved by
compressing the abdominal cavity to
drive air out of the lungs.
CORE MUSCLES
Obliques

We have 3 sets of obliques

(internal, transverse, and external)

• Responsible for:
• spinal rotation
• lateral flexion
• forceful exhalation.
 CORE MUSCLES
Erector Spinae
The erector spinae is the collective term used to
describe the eight muscles that run up either
side of your spine from the base of your
sacrum to the base of your skull.

Responsible for:
• spinal extension (back bend)
• lateral flexion
• maintaining an upright position.
CORE MUSCLES
Transverse Abdominus

• TVA for short, is a thin, wide muscle that runs

horizontally around your abdominal cavity.

Responsible for:
• creating intra-abdominal pressure which helps
to support the spine from within.
• Performing this action (engaging the TVA)
voluntarily during exercise is commonly called
bracing.
 CORE MUSCLES
Quadratus Lumborum
QL for short, is a deep muscle that runs from
your bottom ribs and first to fifth lumbar
vertebrae to the top of your pelvis.

Responsible for:
• Extending
• stabilizing the lower spine
• lateral flexion.
CORE CONNECTIONS
 CORE STABILITY
• Core stability is the the ability to maintain neutral torso and pelvic
alignment while resisting motion imposed by the extremities.

• It is important because a lack of stability can result in a number of lower

back, upper extremity and lower extremity issues.
 Core Stability
• By including core stability exercises in your program you will improve
muscle recruitment, posture, and tone while preventing injury.

• The best core stabilization exercises fall into four categories:

• Anti-extension
• Anti-rotation
• Anti-lateral flexion
• Hip flexion while maintaining a posterior pelvic tilt
 FLEXION exercises
Primary muscle group used:
• Rectus Abdominus (also used for stabilization
and posterior tilt of the pelvis)
• Dead Bug: http://youtu.be/I5xbsA71v1A

Dead bugs, leg lift variations, and jacknives (if
you’re abs are strong enough to do them
properly) are far more adventageous than
crunches and sit-ups because they help to
maintain a neutral pelvic alignment. This in
turn will help to reduce pressure/pain in the
lower back.
• Leg Lift variations:
• http://youtu.be/NiUAHX6m73k
• http://youtu.be/yj_hBOJjip0
• Stability Ball Jackknife:
http://youtu.be/pb0hoxUQpM8
 ROTATION exercises
Primary muscle groups used:
• the external obliques, the internal obliques
and rectus abdominis. • Reverse Rotation:
http://youtu.be/varvNllm6Jc

•Rotational exercises should be performed • Landmine Rotation:

because many sport specific and everyday http://youtu.be/NtTO_xoJtqk
movements involve twisting/ rotating with a
load. • Kneeling Cable Rotation:
•Moreover, rotation-based abdominal exercises http://youtu.be/XmaYRWfy9G4
promote thoracic spine mobility (as long as the
pelvis is stabilized throughout the movement).
LATERAL FLEXION exercises

• Primary muscles group used: Obliques

• DB Side Bend:
http://youtu.be/7x30hOyDNrk
• SB Side Crunch:
http://youtu.be/g0ewZzzNUdk
 SOLID AS A ROCK
• Anti-extension
• Bridge https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0OKzd_-wgU
• SB Rollout https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZnvUS4ylxY

• Anti-rotation
• Pallof Press http://youtu.be/nFspBRHke4w
• Landmine Anti-rotation http://youtu.be/xnUuYaJ1_3k

• Anti-lateral flexion
• Side Bride http://youtu.be/vsfIGCnsd6E
• Suitcase Deadlift http://youtu.be/yrDinoZ226k

• Hip flexion while maintaining a posterior pelvic tilt

• SB Stride http://youtu.be/f_mdBzT5zVo
• SB Dead Bug http://youtu.be/MXuqfyPToJU
YOGA
Yoga
PILATES
 BREATHING
• The diaphragm is a very powerful
muscle that controls your breath.
• Based on that function alone, it's one of
the single most important muscles in
the body.
• During inhalation, the diaphragm
contracts, creating space for your lungs
to expand.
• Proper activation of the diaphragm
draws the breath deep into the belly.
 Diaphragmatic Breathing
• Diaphragmatic breathing is thought to benefit overall health in a number of ways:
• Improve circulating oxygen levels
• Reduce fatigue with exercise
• Decrease blood pressure
• Reduce stress and anxiety
• Improve core deep abdominal and pelvic floor muscle function

• Diaphragmatic Breathing http://youtu.be/OgCTYXN_Ax4