Core exercises: Why you should strengthen your core muscles

The reason why human beings can walk, run, and jump depends on the core muscles, which are responsible for the power transmission of the upper and lower limbs, and are also known as the "source of power." Strong core muscles can provide trunk stability, coordinate human movement, and maintain body posture. In emergencies, strong core muscles can also play a key protective role and reduce the occurrence of acute injuries. If women have strong core muscles, they can reduce low back pain during pregnancy, and they will have more strength to push the fetus during childbirth, and increase the rate of delivery. At the same time, it can prevent urine leakage, organ prolapse, vaginal relaxation and other problems after childbirth.

What is the core muscle?

The core muscles mainly refer to the muscles that surround the waist and abdomen from the top to the back, down to the buttocks, and are divided into deep core muscles and superficial core muscles.

The members of the deep core muscles are mainly diaphragm, multifidus, transversus abdominis and pelvic floor muscles.

The diaphragm is the main engine that drives the entire breathing process;

The multifidus muscle is responsible for controlling the dynamic stability of the back of the spine;

Transverse abdominis muscles are responsible for forming the abdominal wall to protect the abdominal organs;

The pelvic floor muscles are responsible for supporting the pelvic organs such as the uterus, rectum, bladder, and ensuring the normal operation of various organs. The pelvic floor muscles are inseparable from the participation of sex life and urinary and defecation control. When the pelvic floor muscles are automatically tightened and raised, they can stabilize the pelvis and lumbar joints, support the spine, and prevent injuries in daily activities.

The members of the superficial core muscles are mainly rectus abdominis, quadratus lumborum, erector spinae, and external oblique abdomen.

The rectus abdominis is responsible for maintaining abdominal pressure, assisting in breathing, defecation, childbirth, etc.;

The erector spinae is responsible for traction of the spine to achieve backwards;

The external oblique muscle is responsible for assisting the rotation to increase the pressure of the abdominal cavity and protect the internal organs and ribs;

The quadratus lumborum muscle is responsible for fixing the 12th rib during breathing and has a slight lateral flexion effect on the lumbar spine.

The core muscles are interlocking with each other. When the core muscles are weak, the body is prone to problems, such as unstable walking, easy falling, backaches, and physical discomfort.