Have you considered developing stronger core muscles?  Back in the day it seems that everyone was all about getting ripped.  People even developed programs like 10-minute abs.  And then someone saw that and said, “Shoot, let’s do it in 7 minutes!”

Those were mostly about vanity – looking great with washboard ab muscles.  But what do abs actually do and why do you want them to be strong (strong abs doesn’t mean they’re rippling and visible through your shirt)?

What do Core Muscles Do for You?

Your body has as many as 35 core muscles mostly located in your mid-section.  They include your abs, your hip muscles, pelvic muscles, and even your diaphragm.  These muscles don’t serve a designated purpose the way we think of other muscles.  For example, your biceps are largely in charge of making your arm bend – but what do your Quadratus lumborum do?

The answer – they help to stabilize and move the lower back and pelvis.  These core muscles aren’t flashy, showy, and often when you strengthen them you don’t have outward recognizable gains.

Which Core Muscles Do You Need to Work on?

In short: all of them.  But that doesn’t mean you need to go through 29 different exercises to ensure they’re all getting toned nicely.  In fact, most of your exercises will work on a number of these muscles at the same time – we’ll get to those exercises in a minute.

How Core Muscles Protect Your Back

We know that without our bones we’d just be a floppy mess of muscles going all over.  Without our muscles, our bones wouldn’t be held in place.  Think of it like this.  Take a pool noodle and wiggle it around – it just goes wherever all floppy like.  But if you added “muscle” and strengthened it to hold it in place, it would have more control.

Your back gets all floppy without control if you don’t have strong muscles to ensure it stays in the right place.  Without those muscles, it can get tweaked, pulled, or bent out of shape.

How to Strengthen Your Core

There are plenty of exercises that will help strengthen core muscles.  However, don’t fall for some of the gimmicks you might see on YouTube.  Often, they’ll try to say you only need to do this one exercise, or these three exercises.  Or perhaps something like, “Core Muscles in Only 5 Minutes Per Day!”

Yes, five minutes is better than no minutes, but likely need a bit more.  If you do find exercises that feel like they’re hitting it all in five minutes, go through the set four or five times.  Here’s an example of a good 20-minute program that might help you strengthen your core – remember, if you’re just starting out, go light at first and work your way up.

Come See Dr. Shayne Durbin, Chiropractor in Billings

If you’re experiencing back pain, then getting the pain remedied is your first step – after that get your core muscles in shape so you can keep that pain away.

Let’s find a time when you can come in and have an adjustment by Dr. Shayne Durbin – a Billings chiropractor.  Simply call our office at 406-545-2128, or fill out the contact form and we’ll get you scheduled.