Core Is Key: Building Your Foundation for Movement Almost everything you do depends on your core, which is the group of muscles that stabilize your torso. Adequate core strength allows for safe and efficient movement, which is important to your physical fitness and readiness. A strong core also improves your posture, mobility and operational performance. As a Warfighter, strengthening and protecting your core supports your unique job duties and overall health. What Exactly Is My Core? When you think of your core, abdominal muscles (abs) may come to mind. However, muscles in your back and hips are also part of your core. They all work together to support the spine and pelvis, especially during movement. Rectus Abdominus Obliques Transverse Abdominus Erector Spinae Hip and Pelvic Muscles Rectus Abdominus: Allows you to bend your torso forward and backward Obliques: Support the abdomen and allow you to rotate your torso and bend side to side Transverse Abdominus: Stabilizes your abdomen, including your lower back and pelvis Erector Spinae: Supports the back of your torso, allowing you to rotate and bend Hip and Pelvic Muscles: Stabilize the hips, allowing you to flex and extend your lower back and legs You may have also heard of your pillar, which is a broader term that refers to your hips, torso and shoulders. It’s responsible for transferring energy throughout your body to allow movement. Having a stable pillar, which includes a strong core, helps you move more efficiently. If your pillar is compromised, you may experience energy leaks that lead to pain or injury. Why Is Core Strength Important for Mission Readiness? If you think of your body like a wheel, your pillar is the hub and your limbs are spokes. If the hub is perfectly aligned, energy will transfer more effectively to other parts of your body. On the other hand, a misaligned or weak pillar can make forceful movement in the limbs difficult. This can affect the amount of power you’re able to generate during any given activity. As part of the pillar, your core connects your upper and lower body and allows them to move as a whole. Everyday movements rely on core strength, including simple tasks like bending over to pick something up. Having a strong core can make movement easier and safer, improving your ability to perform operational duties and other mission requirements. Core strength can also help prevent musculoskeletal injuries, or MSKIs, which are the leading threat to health and readiness among Warfighters. A strong core improves your balance and stability, which help protect against falls and other types of injury. You may also notice better posture, as a strong core can correct structural imbalances and reduce back pain. Prioritizing your core, during and after your service, promotes healthy aging and lowers your risk of injury. How Can I Strengthen My Core? Engage Your Core with Every Movement: Your core is involved in almost every move you make. However, it’s easy to forget about your core while performing most daily tasks. Making a conscious effort to activate your core muscles while performing an activity can both strengthen your core and protect against injury. This is especially true during strength training when lifting heavy loads and challenging your body. Warm Up Before Exercise: Without a proper warmup, your core likely won’t be prepared for exercise. This can put you at increased risk of injury, especially if you’re performing an intense workout. Strive to devote 5-10 minutes to warm up before working out. Including core-specific exercises in your warmup can help improve stability and recruitment of these muscles throughout your workout. Pillar preparation is a training component specifically designed to strengthen your core muscles, along with those in your hips and shoulders. Performing pillar preparation as a warmup helps protect, stabilize and strengthen your pillar (including your core) so you can perform your workout safely and effectively. For a full list of pillar preparation exercises, check out the NOFFS Movement Library. Add Core Exercises into Your Routine: Though most movement relies on your core, some exercises specifically target your core muscles. Whether during a workout or random break in your day, performing a few of these exercises can make a difference in your core strength over time. Consider working a few of the following movements, or your own core-focused activity (e.g., yoga), into your daily routine when possible. Planks Push-ups Bird dogs Dead bugs Bridges Step-ups with knee raise Prioritize Planks: When deciding which core exercises to include in your routine, consider starting with planks. Performing a plank engages your entire core, which is more effective than only targeting one group of core muscles. Planks require your muscles to work together the same way they do during daily activities, which can better prepare your body for movement. For proper plank position, ensure your body is in a straight line from your head to heels, without arching or rounding your back. Your core plays a vital role in your health, wellbeing and performance as a Warfighter. Build and maintain a strong core by being intentional with all movements and prioritizing core-specific exercises. Investing in your core strength can make daily activities easier, protect you from injury and improve overall mission readiness. Additional ResourcesMilitary.com - “The PT Reset: Balancing the PT Test Exercises”Warfighter Wellness - “Functional Movement Patterns for Success”ReferencesAmerican College of Sports Medicine - “Core Training: Separating Fact from Fiction”Harvard Medical School - “Want a stronger core? Skip the sit-ups”Human Performance Resources by CHAMP - “Military Workout: Core Strength 101”Human Performance Resources by CHAMP - “The Core: A Foundation of Movement for Military Fitness”Military.com - “The Exercises You Should Be Doing for a Strong Core”National Academy of Sports Medicine - “Core Objectives: Making a Case for Progressive Core Training”University of Michigan - “3 reasons to improve your core strength”
