Dear GeezerJock Doc: What are your thoughts on core strengthening for overall health?

The GeezerJock Doc responds: That's a great question. Core strengthening is the new buzzword in nearly every sport. Which raises two key questions:

What is the core?

How do we strengthen it?

Most agree the core is the group of muscles that supports and surrounds your trunk and pelvis. Others believe the core also encompasses the muscles of the shoulders, chest and upper back. 

Core strengthening has some of the following benefits to the athlete:

• By creating a stable base, athletes will be able to generate more power in many aspects of their sport.
• By increasing the strength of the muscles that surround and support the spine, there should be a decreased rate of low back injury. 
• Athletes also will have better control of their limbs, resulting in improved coordination and a better, stronger center of gravity. 

These benefits should show up in competition. A strong core should lead to longer home runs and tee shots, for example. It also should enable athletes to run faster, jump higher. And it should result in faster rowing times.

On the flip side, a weak core can predispose the athlete to many injuries.  A runner with a weak core will be more likely to suffer from a hamstring or quadriceps rupture.  Throwing athletes with a weak core may be at increased risk for shoulder or elbow injuries.

Strengthening your core consists of more than just sitting in an ab lounger. True core strengthening includes a series of exercises that tax many of the core muscles at once.
Here are four simple exercises that can be performed with minimal supervision:

• Bridge
• Plank
• Quadruped
• Crunches or sit-ups with an exercise ball

During all exercises, the athlete can increase the amount of work done by the core by creating some instability in the exercise program.  An example of this is to do weight training on an exercise ball - this will make your core muscles work to stabilize your body while lifting the weights.

Pilates is an exercise program founded by Joseph Pilates. The program stresses core strengthening.  He originally developed these techniques, which he called contrology, to aid in rehabilitation for war veterans. He believed that focusing on the core muscles and breathing could help prevent and treat many maladies.
 
Pilates courses have popped up all over the country.  Pilates is a great adjunct to athletic training. The program helps strengthen the core and helps with flexibility and concentration.  When done properly, this exercise program requires intense concentration and precise movements. Qualified instructors are the key to this form of training.  When inquiring about a Pilates in your area, be sure to inquire about your instructor's training.

Ask the Doctor

Written by orthopedic surgeon and Masters sprinter Allan Tissenbaum, M.D., GeezerJock Doc is a forum for your questions about injuries, exercise and getting older. Submit questions to geezerjockdoc@masters-athlete.com or mail to GeezerJock Doc, 2033 W. Hutchinson St., Chicago, IL 60618.