The torso, the largest part of the body, contains the core muscles. Most people think of the abdomen when they hear the words core muscles but they’re more than just the abs although, certainly, the abdominal muscles are a large part of core muscles.

Muscles like the rectus abdominis are those core muscles that form the much referred to “six-pack”.

Right besides the rectus abdominis are the external and internal obliques. Ignore these muscles and you develop a great set of love handles.

Deep underneath the other muscles of the abdomen lie the transverse abdominis.

All of these muscles provide protection for the internal organs and help stabilize the body so that the back doesn’t have to work as hard.

All the muscles in the hips are core muscles.

Those smaller muscles that make up the hip flexors include;

• psoas major
• pectineus
• rectus femoris
• illiacus sarrtorius.

These muscles, located in the front of the pelvis also include the muscles in the front and top of the thigh.  At the side of the hip are the gluteus medius and minimus and of course, your bottom is the gluteus maximus.

Some muscles at the upper portion of the back of the thigh are included in this group of core muscles, the hamstrings and piriformis. The final core muscles are in the back.

The erector spinae are three muscles that run from the neck all the way down to the lower back. Those are the large muscles that you feel along the spine. Underneath them are the multifidus used to rotate the spine.

Core Exercise Training

Start with the abdominal muscles. Crunches of all kinds give the abs a great workout.

• To do regular crunch just lay on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor.
• Put your hands to the side of your head and exhale as you lift your head off the floor slightly. Be careful not to strain your neck.
• If you want to make the exercise a little more difficult, perform it on an exercise ball.

Keep your feet flat on the floor and thighs parallel to it. Lift the head like a regular crunch.
The narrower the space is between your legs the more the obliques get a work out.

• A third great crunch works all the muscles in the abdominal area is the bicycle crunch.

Lie in crunch position and lift both the legs and the head off the floor. Bring the left knee forward as you bring the right elbow forward and attempt to touch.
Then in true bicycle fashion move the left leg back and pedal up the right leg to touch the left elbow.

• Another exercise for the obliques keeps you down in crunch position.

This time you tighten the abs and keep your upper back on the floor as you drop your knees to the side.

Only go as far as you can without pain. Hold the position and breathe deeply. Bring your legs back up and then slowly drop the knees to the other side.

Tighten the muscles in the hips while you lay on your back.

Start in the same position as you would a crunch but don’t crunch. This time you lift your gluteus maximus off the floor, your bottom, that is.

Hold the hips up off the floor for a slow count of three and then lower them back down.

• An easy tummy tucker that lends itself to short breaks throughout the day is abdominal bracing.

Bend over slightly, putting your hands on your knees and blow all the air out of your lungs.
ull the abdomen in tightly until you feel it touches your backbone. Hold the position as you breathe in and exhale one more time.

These exercises, yoga, Pilates, medicine ball workouts, weights and more, strengthen the core muscles to protect your back, organs and keep you on the move.

Other great exercises for the core muscles are squats, lunges and side lunges and push-ups.

In the last 10 years core training has changed from being abdominal exercises to include all of the core muscles.

The core muscles are the muscles in the body’s center of gravity that support the spine and torso; the core muscle group does not include the muscles of the arms and legs.

These muscles are the main support of the body and these are the muscles that initiate movement.

Working out all of the core muscles instead of focusing on the abdominal muscles helps to build a stronger foundation for other workouts and activities.

Strengthening the core muscle group enhances athletic performance.

These muscles can also reduce back pain by maintaining the lumbar curve and overall posture.

Strength training in the core muscles helps to stabilize the body while allowing the muscles to work together and function as a unit. This helps to stabilize the body during complex movements that are performed by multiple muscles simultaneously.

The core itself is the base of the body. This is the area where all of the major activity and vital functions that do not occur within the brain occur. The muscles of the core include:

• Rectus Abdominis. The abdominal muscle group that is worked to give the six-pack look.
• Internal and External Obliques. These run in opposite directions to each other and are on the abdomen and sides.
• Transverse Abdominis (TVA). This is the waist muscles or deepest of abdominal muscles located underneath the obliques and wrapped around the spine.
• Multifidus and Erector Spinae. The muscles that are used to rotate the spine and the group of muscles from the neck to the low back.
• Hip Flexors and Abductors. These are the muscles that move the hips and upper thighs.
• Gluteus Medius and Minimus, Gluteus Maximus, Hamstring and Piriformis. These muscles are often referred to as the butt and are located in the upper thigh, at the side of the hip and the back of the hip.

When the core muscles become weak you will begin to see problems including bad posture, weak abs, excess adipose tissue around the midsection and more specifically on the abdomen and a decline in organ health.

A weakened core can contribute to several health problems including stress; which in turn contributes to more health issues. Weak core muscles affect overall health and fitness.

Internal organs in the core are not properly protected when the core muscles are weak. These organs are also unable to perform their functions properly when they are hidden under adipose tissue.

Strengthening the core muscles goes beyond ab routines. Ab exercises are good exercises and should not be eliminated from your routine; they are just not enough to strengthen the core.

Some good exercises for core training include resistance and instability exercises. Working out on a stability ball helps the core muscles to develop and strengthens the core muscles.

If you don’t have a stability ball, you can still do core strength training by doing Pilates.

A routine that includes exercise working each of the muscles from the core group should be included in your weekly routine.

It is important that you have worked each muscle at least once a week and preferably three times a week. Exercises to include in your routine could be:

• Push ups
• Crunches
• Squats
• Lunges
• Back extensions
• Plank and side plank exercise

Working all of the muscles in your core muscle group instead of focusing on the abdominal muscles will give you the stability and strength in the core to build on.

Keeping your core strength is important for several areas of health and fitness.

Pilates and Yoga are excellent forms of exercise, as is using a wobble board or stability ball.

When you want to focus on core strength training there are many different exercises you can choose.

The answer is to find those that best suit your abilities because they will be the most beneficial.