The Best Exercise For Your Body’s Core

May 5, 2017 - Fitness - 0 Comments

There is so much information circulating about how to stay fit and strong. In recent years, the exercise community has focused on what is called the “core”. The core is made up of many muscles around the midsection. Ab muscles such as rectus abdominus, transverse abdominus, and obliques make up the front muscles. In the back, the lumbar para spinals, quadratus lumborum, multifidi, and rotator all work together to extend and support the core. So, what is the best exercise to engage these muscles? Much research has been performed on this very question. Stuart McGill is one of the foremost experts in core training. His philosophy is to spare the joints and disc excess force to minimize back injury. The one exercise that showed the highest involvement of all the about muscle was the plank.

The plank is a position where a person is on their toes and elbows in a prone position on the floor. Strict form must be adhered to for the exercise to be effective. The elbows should be placed directly under the shoulders and the body should be in straight alignment. Start out slow by trying to hold for 10-15 seconds. Do several sets of this. As you improve, increase the time to 30 seconds and try for several sets. The goal is to reach 1 minute for several sets.