Strengthen Your Core for Better Health

Exercising your core muscles at any age is one of the most important things you can do to maintain good health, avoid back pain, and maintain a good posture.

Your core muscles refer to those muscles around your abdomen, back, hips and pelvic muscles. If you don’t have a strong core, it could affect your balance. It also causes the other muscles in your body to compensate for a weak core, which could lead to back pain.

If you are a casual athlete, working on your core muscles can help you improve your overall performance.

As you age, maintaining and strengthening your core muscles will also help you maintain good balance. Since falls are a major cause of minor injury to fatalities for older adults, a strong core will help you maintain balance and avoid a fall.

One good way to determine the strength of your core is to do a simple “stand on one leg test.” According to an article in the Mayo Clinic, “good balance, muscle strength and an efficient gate contribute to a person’s independence and well-being as we age.

To perform the test properly, stand near a wall, or have someone nearby, especially if you feel like standing on one leg may cause you to wobble. Lift your leg and bend at the knee so that your foot is off the ground. Start counting or use a timer when your foot leaves the ground, try to maintain your balance for as long as you can, and stop counting when your foot touches the ground. Just as your non-dominant hand is not as strong, your non-dominant leg will also be weaker. Test both legs to see how long you can last.

For those between 18-49, you should be able to stand on one leg for about a minute. Between the ages of 50-59, you should last about 40 seconds. And by the time we reach 80 and up, you should be able to stand on one leg for at least five seconds. Here’s a video that demonstrates how to perform the test. Doing the test with a partner can help each of you make sure you are doing it correctly and one of you can catch the other if they happen to lose balance.

Can you pass the test? Good! That means you have a strong core that is helping with your balance. If not, try to incorporate regular core exercises into your daily routine. There are a variety of exercise you can do to strengthen your core muscles. Here’s a guide for a short routine you can use every day.

Maintaining a strong core will help you avoid pain, can help you perform better in any sport you might enjoy, but most importantly, it could save your life.