Core Fitness: 5 Signs You May Have Weak Core Muscles

If your core is weak, your balance is poor. This leads to an unstable body, increasing the possibility that you could suffer a fall. A week core also makes you feel physically weak. You can support more physical effort when your core is strong. Most people think of core muscles as your abs. But your core is actually composed of 6 groups of 29 muscles located in your upper thighs, lower back, and the sides and front of your stomach.

How Do You Know If Your Core Is Weak?

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

You may have an extremely strong core that is located beneath several layers of fat. This means you can actually look overweight and still have a very healthy core. So how can you tell if your core is weak or strong? A poor core and chronic lower back pain often accompany each other.

If you experience frequent tightness and pain in your lower back, a weak core could be a part of the problem. Since core muscles also protect your spine, poor posture is sometimes a sign of a weak core. Do you slouch when you stand or sit? This might be because your core muscles are weak, and cannot support your upper body for extended periods of time.

How is your balance? A weak core leads to poor balance. Try this. Stand with your feet 6 to 8 inches apart and start a timer. Close your eyes and lift one of your feet up off of the floor. Balance as long as you can, keeping your eyes closed. You should be able to stay in this position for a minimum of 10 seconds.  If not, you need to work on your core muscles. Try this with each of your legs.

You can also take a simple breathing test to see how strong your core is. While standing, take a deep breath. Hold for a second and then exhale. When you begin exhaling, compress your stomach back towards your spine as far as you can possibly go. If you cannot hold this pose for at least 10 seconds, your core definitely needs some work.

You can also test your core by holding the plank position. Lie face down on the floor. Supporting yourself on your forearms and toes, with your elbows at a 90 degree angle, lift your body and form a straight line from your neck to your ankles. If you cannot hold this position for at least 50 or 60 seconds before you crash to the floor, your core needs some help.

If you tried the tests above and found that you have weak core muscles, be sure to check back throughout the month, as we will be focusing on this very important area for the month of March, with helpful tips and weekly core workouts that will help you strengthen your core in just a few minutes per day! We'll be posting the first one this Thursday, so stay tuned!

Assessing & Improving Your Running Posture

Running may sound simple, but actually, there's more to it than you might think. How you run has a direct impact on how much energy you use when you run. It also affects your risk for potential injury. Improving your running posture and form can help you run further, faster, and easier.

Assessing Your Running Posture

This is a two or three step process. The first step is to pay attention to your posture on your next run. Here are some things to assess:

Poor posture (Photo credit: midwestnerd)

* Are you bent at the waist, standing up straight or leaning forward from the hips?
* Are your shoulders scrunched up or relaxed?
* When you run up hill do you shorten your stride, lengthen your stride or keep it the same?
* When you swing your arms do they move parallel to your body? Do they swing in front of your body? Do they move at all?
* Do you clench your fists or are your hands relaxed?
* Is your chin tucked down, tipped toward the sky or looking straight ahead?

When you’re running try a few different things and see how it feels. For example, scrunch your shoulders then relax them. What feels different? Now lean forward at the waist and run for a minute. Now straighten and run for a minute. Now lean forward at the hips and run for a minute. How did each change feel? How did it affect your running and your effort level?

Now it can be difficult to assess your posture by yourself. The next step is to ask a friend to video tape you running. Try to run naturally without making any changes or adjustments. Tape yourself for a few minutes. When you review the video you can assess yourself based on the questions listed above.

POSITION OF SKELETON IN GOOD AND POOR POSTURE -  (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

What to Aim For

Ideally, your upper body including your shoulders, arms and hand will be relaxed. Your arms will move from side to side and match your stride. If they cross your body it causes your torso to rotate which takes energy. This energy is better spent in your legs.

Imagine a string running from the top of your head down to the center of your belly. This string keeps your head, neck and back in alignment. When you need to increase your speed, lean forward from the hips just a touch. You’ll notice that you gain momentum by changing gravity here. Stand up straight and you slow down. Think about how you run when you’re going downhill, you automatically lean back bit right? And when you’re running uphill you lean forward. It’s a natural instinct. Make sure you’re leaning from the hips instead of your waist for maximum efficiency.

Finally, your feet will ideally stay under you. If your leg reaches too far forward it causes your heel to strike the ground first. This impact can cause injury to your knees, shins, and hips. This may mean you need to start with a shorter stride. You can make up the speed by increasing your turnover or the number of steps you take in a specific amount of time.

Good posture makes a huge difference in the amount of energy you expend when you run. The more efficiently you can run the less energy it takes to complete a run. It may take time to correct your posture but it’s worth it - less effort, better results and fewer injuries.