Your core muscles are the invisible MVPs that spring into action every time you sit down, stand up or bend over to pick something up.
Most of us assume strong core muscles are something that only belong to fitness influencers with a tight six pack (or Peter Andre in the ’90s), but everyone has core muscles, and that includes not just abdominal muscles but your lower back and pelvic floor, too. Best of all, these muscles don’t need to look toned to be strong.
Jill Healy-Quintard, a MindBody fitness and wellness specialist for more than 35 years (jillhq.com.au), says everyone can achieve a strong core without having washboard abs – and there are lots of good reasons to focus on strengthening this important muscle group.
‘The core is known as the powerhouse of the body and by gaining strength in the core, everyday living is made easier due to the abdominal muscles, back muscles and pelvic muscles working together,’ she says. ‘This will aid stability, balance and posture. Many of my clients come to me with back pain and strengthening the core often reduces back pain.’
The good part: you can get strong core muscles without ever stepping foot in a gym. Here, Jill shares her tips for activating your core in your day-to-day life and, if you want to go a step further, through targeted exercises you can do at home.
Read more: Support your pelvic floor
Doing double duty
If you’re relatively time-poor, exercising to achieve strong core muscles while you’re doing other everyday activities might suit you best.
‘I engage my core as I stand up at my computer or even when I am sitting,’ explains Jill. ‘I train people to engage their core when they are working manually or bending to pick up something, or cleaning and vacuuming.’
Whether it’s waiting for the kettle to boil or standing in a queue at the supermarket checkout, here is Jill’s best advice for utilising common standing moments to engage your core muscles.
First, she recommends imagining a wide belt wrapping around your lower back and connecting to your front between your navel and pubic bone. Inhale, then exhale and tighten this imaginary belt as tightly as you can. Breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth three times, then loosen the belt to 30 per cent.
‘Do not grip, and do not tighten your glutes [butt muscles],’ she advises.
Another option for when you’re lying on your back (think: watching TV) is to bend your knees and place them hip-distance apart. Keeping your spine neutral, place your thumbs on your belly button and index fingers towards your pubic bone, with hands lying flat across your belly.
‘Inhale through the nose and feel the abdominals rise, exhale through the mouth and feel the abdominals contract, keeping a neutral spine. The thumbs and fingers form a triangle that should be flat when you have switched on your core and have a neutral spine.’
3 at-home exercises for a strong core
1 Jill’s favourite exercise is the plank. Lying face-down on the ground, put your elbows in line with your shoulder with your forearms on the ground and your feet shoulder-width apart. Lift your body using your core muscles, keeping your whole body straight. Aim to hold the plank position as long as you possibly can. Make sure you keep breathing throughout. Want a real challenge? Graduate to rising up on your palms and testing how long you can hold.
‘What is important is taking an inhale and engaging your core on the exhale while holding the plank position,’ she says.
2 Starting on all-fours, slowly lift your left arm in front of you and your right leg behind you to be in line with your body, contracting your core for balance. Lower them slowly at the same time, then lift the right arm and left leg, and repeat. Do as many as you can, working towards 10 on each side.
3 From a standing position, lift your left knee towards your hips, then touch your right elbow to the knee. Lower that knee, then repeat on the opposite side. Do this slowly and mindfully, focusing on your abs, building to 10 on each side.
