Revisiting The Core

The last post on the core I shared was about what the core does and how if it doesn’t activate and/or isn’t strong then your foundation for movement isn’t strong. It’s like you have a wet noodle at your center and when you apply force to it through your limbs it moves robbing you of energy and force that could be put into the movement itself. Instead of having fluid powerful movement and more ability to move and do what you want to do, you gradually become less and less able to do the things you want to do. Without an active and strong core, you cannot apply the forces needed to do what you want to do and keep doing it. Note: your core should be reflexively active. That is, it turns on in response to moving, engaging just before you move in a way that matches the demands of the movement.

For instance, at one time you might have been able to run and jump well while playing basketball. Now, it’s a struggle just to get off the ground. That may be to a number of factors including carrying more weight in the form of fat and less muscle mass. Which will certainly limit how high you can jump. You may also have tight muscles, ligaments and tendons that further reduce your ability to jump. When you combine that with a core that is inactive and weak even the force you can produce doesn’t get where it’s needed. At least not all of it. In this case we want to apply as much force as we can into the ground to run as fast as we can and jump as high as we can.

For most of the older population in our country it’s not an issue of whether or not you can run or jump. (Many older adults can’t do either.) They may not be able to get out of a chair without a lot of effort. They may not be able to get up off the floor if they have fallen or even get down to the floor if there is something they need or want to do down there. A major part of this issues is not having a reflexively active core. This in itself automatically makes for a weaker core since it cannot apply the strength that it already has to provide the strong foundation for getting up from the floor or controlling lowering yourself to the floor.

This also inhibits the strength and ability to generate the force needed in the limbs to accomplish either task. Your body and nervous system are set up to protect you from getting injured. So, they limit the amount of force you produce so that you don’t hurt yourself. Your nervous system can tell by the feedback it receives that what you are trying to do puts you at risk for harm. Then it goes into protective mode. Plus, all of the force you do produce doesn’t get put into your feet and legs to help you rise from the floor. Remember, part of that force is trying to push against a wet noddle instead of a strong, rigid foundation in your spine and hips.

This leads to the conclusion that a reflexively active and strong core is important to successful aging. Especially in an emergency situation where you have fallen. It certainly helps you keep doing the things you enjoy doing throughout your life. Like playing with the grand kids, gardening or just lying in the grass and taking in the scenery. The great news is that even if your core isn’t reflexively active and isn’t expressing the strength already within it, you can get it back. Our bodies are designed in an amazing way to heal and restore our ability to move. Even to grow in our ability to move regardless of our current circumstances. We just need to tap into those abilities. Contact me today via email: gift_of_movement@msn.com, or phone: 970 412 0355 and I will help you restore your core and your abilities to do what you want to do, when you want or need to do it.