Sunday, February 21, 2010

Great Posture and Fitness - The 5 Best Core Stability Exercises

By Thaya Kareeson

Core stability exercises improve torso strength as a whole. These exercises target many muscles in the torso including abdominal muscles, internal/external obliques, and muscles that run along the spine. Why do these muscles need to be improved?

Torso or core muscles help provide support for your bones during your everyday activities. Improving these muscles will increase your general physical fitness and decrease your likelihood of back and neck pains or injuries from physical activities.

One of the most important aspects of core stability training programs is that you need to address all muscle groups of the torso in a balanced way. Here are the five best exercises that will give you a good starting point.

1. Straight Crunch. Although old fashion, the straight crunch helps strengthen the "6-pack abs" section of your torso.

2. Crossover Crunch. The crossover crunch is a great exercise that adds a twist of the upper body to the straight crunch movement. This strengthens the muscles that are on the side and front of the abdomen.

3. Back Extension. Start by laying down on your stomach and then start contracting your back muscles. This will help work out muscles along your spine.

4. Arm Sweep. Sitting down in a slightly leaned-back position, the outstretched arms are moved in a helicopter like circle, twisting your upper body back and forth around your hips. This targets the external obliques.

5. Plank or Push-Up. Plank or push-up exercises help develop the transverse abdominis that lay deep within your abdomen and wrap all around your spine. Because of its placement, these muscles directly support and stabilize the spine to help avoid back pains.

Balancing these exercises will allow you to focus on each muscle group in each exercise while currently building the whole core stability package. When you first start core stability training, it might be best to hire a personal trainer to get optimal results. A personal trainer can also help you work more advanced core stability exercises to develop and keep solid core strength.

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