What is Core Stability?

Core stability refers to the stability of the spine, which enables it to stay “intact” during physical activity and everyday movement. The core muscles help to stabilize the spine and protect it, providing a solid base from which all movement can safely and effectively take place. Essentially, having good core stability allows you to correctly use the muscles of your core to resist unwanted movement of the spine (think about the time you bent over to tie your shoe and threw out your back!). Some great examples of core stability exercises are planks, side planks, bird dogs, and bridges. There are also many options to add an “unstable base” to your core stability exercises, such as an exercise ball or a foam roller, to help challenge your stability further.

What is Core Strength?

As the name suggests, core strength is the actual strength of the muscles of your core. For many people, the first thing that comes to mind is the abs (and doing endless stomach crunches to get that six-pack), but having core strength is so much more than that. Core strength is the ability of the muscles around the spine to contract together and thus stabilize and protect the spine. Having strong core muscles not only helps protect your spine from damage and pain, but also enables you to use your arms and legs more powerfully and effectively. Examples of core strengthening exercises include: crunches and rotational crunches, “supermans,” side bends, and spinal rotational exercises. Just like with stability workouts, there are also ways to further challenge core strength through the addition of light weights and medicine balls to add resistance to these types of exercises.

So What Now?

Your body needs a stable base (core stability) to be able to produce force with movement (core strength), so arguably, core stability exercises should be prioritized initially in your back health routine, adding strength elements where able. It’s for this reason that core strengthening exercises don’t have a place in many rehabilitative settings. Building this proper base will not only help you manage and avoid injury, but will also help you perform better too.

The reality is, most people don’t get hurt from a lack of core strength, but rather from a lack of core stability. Think of it this way: most low back injuries happen when we’re doing something rather innocuous (like getting out of bed, pulling up our pants, reaching to grab something off the floor that we dropped). It’s not that our muscles aren’t strong enough to pull up our pants (at least I hope not), it’s that the muscles didn’t properly activate when we needed them to, thus causing the spine to “change” in a way that it shouldn’t have.

You’ve got this, and I’ve got your back (no pun intended)!

Xo,
Christa D.

The post Core Stability and Core Strength: What’s the Difference (Why Do You Need Both?) appeared first on Healthy Back Life.

Long-standing postural problems will typically take longer to address than short-lived ones, as often the joints have adapted to long-standing poor posture. The good news is, however, is simply just being aware that your posture needs correcting is half the battle. And with some practice and persistence, the correct posture for standing, sitting, and lying down will gradually replace your old postural habits.

This, in turn, will help you adopt a healthier body position that places the least strain on supporting muscles and ligaments during movement and weight-bearing activities, which in turn, helps prevent and correct back issues. So what are some general guidelines and tips for maintaining proper posture? Check out my Posture 101 tips below:

Sitting:

•  Keep your feet on the floor or on a footrest.
•  Avoid crossing your legs.
• Maintain a small gap between the back of your knees, and the front of your seat.
• Keep knees at or below hip level.
• Adjust the backrest of your chair to support your low and mid-back and/or use a supportive back pillow.
• Get up at least every hour to move around.

Standing:

• Bear your weight primarily on the balls of your feet.
• Keep your knees slightly bent and feet shoulder-width apart.
• Stand straight and tall with your shoulders pulled backward.
• Suck your tummy in at all times.
• Keep your head level by keeping earlobes in line with your shoulders

Lying Down:

• Find the right mattress—while a firmer mattress is generally recommended, you will need to test out what works for you, and be open to the possibility of making the proper investment in a high-quality mattress. This is worth every penny spent. Start saving now, and reap the benefits for years to come.
• Avoid sleeping on your stomach.
• Be a pro at sleeping on your side or back—if you sleep on your side, place a pillow between your legs. If you sleep on your back, place a pillow under your knees. If you alternate between both (like me!), that extra pillow will just have to do double duty!

Just wait and see… with a little bit of practice and persistence, you’ll find that learning and maintaining a healthier body position will not only help reduce your risk of injury, but also will become second nature!
You’ve got this, and I’ve got your back (no pun intended)!
Xo,
Christa D.

The post Posture 101: Tips for Sitting, Standing, and Lying Down Properly appeared first on Healthy Back Life.