Core stability and core strength are terms that are often used interchangeably when talking about your core muscles, whether in the rehabilitative or traditional fitness environments. However, while the two concepts are related by the same muscle group, the specifics are actually quite different. Focusing on improving both your core strength AND stability can help improve posture, make you less injury prone, and avoid creating imbalances in your body…all of which are critical for improving and maintain the health of your back.
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.