At the centre of everything that goes on in our body is the core. This part of our body is the epicentre of almost everything else. It’s so much more than just the abdominal muscles. Your core is the support for two other vital parts of your body: your spine, which acts as the vertical column holding our bodies upright, and your pelvis, which is like a horizontal support platform that acts as the foundation for everything above it.
Without our core, spine, and pelvis all working together we wouldn’t be able to do most of our daily tasks, whether it’s bending over, sitting down, or walking. Unfortunately, a weak core can easily lead to issues in the spine or pelvis, which have a tendency to compound and become more severe over time if left untreated.
So how do you go about maintaining your core and supporting the rest of your body? One of the best ways is with core rehab—a combined physio and exercise program that focuses on strengthening your core so that your spine and pelvis are well-supported. Beyond general strength and fitness, there are a number of other issues that can be quickly solved with consistent core rehabilitation. These include:
These are just some of the biggest reasons people get started with core rehab, but you don’t have to be experiencing any of the above problems to benefit from this treatment. In fact, there are five immediate benefits of core rehab that you can see almost immediately, within your first couple of treatments.
If you’ve ever winced when bending down when tying your shoes, thought twice about picking up your child, or stifled a cough or laugh just in case, it’s time to give core rehab a shot. Within just a handful of sessions, you’ll not only be well on the way to a strengthened core, but you’ll already be more conscious of how to move in order to reduce pain and increase your mobility.
I’ve always been amazed at the power of core rehab to quickly transform people’s entire mindset on how they move. They’re suddenly able to move with confidence and are more aware of their physical limits instead of playing it safe at all times. This works exponentially, because you’ll be constantly strengthening your core with your newfound consciousness about your movements and your body. In other words, what becomes easy within the first few sessions will soon become second nature, and your body will be better off for it.
Almost everyone has at least a handful of repetitive motions they do multiple times a day through the course of their day. And while more physical jobs might come to mind when it comes to core strengthening, you don’t need to be swinging a hammer or moving boxes all day to benefit from core rehab. Even if your job consists of mainly sitting at a desk and typing, your core plays a huge role in your posture.
Without a strong core, you’re more likely to slouch, putting your spine in a more compromised position and leading to a compounding issue of pain, stiffness, lack of mobility, even worse posture, and so on.
The strengthening exercises and body consciousness that comes within just a couple of core rehab sessions have an amazing effect on the movements we do every day. The core’s job is to connect the lower body to the upper body and to transfer forces between them. Even things like lifting groceries or kids will feel easier when the core muscles are working to dissipate the forces across multiple muscles.
Whether you spend your day on a job site, behind the wheel, or at a desk, everyone can benefit from a core rehab program. You’ll quickly notice that you’re mindfully moving better or sitting up taller at work, which will lead to decreased pain, improved mobility, and an easier day on the job overall.
Another benefit of core rehab that you can expect to see in almost no time at all, is its effect on your pain or issues due to the sequencing of core activation.
The core muscles should co-contract milliseconds ahead of a movement to create a stable base for the muscles to work off of. If the core muscles don’t turn on enough, turn on too late, or don’t turn on at all, it can lead to issues of pain or urine leakage.
Within just a couple of sessions, you’ll find that the focus on sequencing core activation with the breath makes it easier to integrate the core activations into all the movements or actions you do on a daily basis. Because almost every action you do involves the core muscles, improved core strength means a more efficient way to transmit forces across the body, allowing you to get back to doing the activities you want to do.
You’ll be surprised at how few sessions of core rehab you need to start feeling like you can say ‘yes’ again to tennis, golf, swimming, running, kayaking, or any other number of physical activities that you used to love doing. With improved core activation comes decreased pain, forming a positive feedback loop of confidently doing the things you find fun, which leads to more strengthening and stabilization, which leads to more confidence, and so on.
One often-overlooked benefit of a strong and flexible core is your sense of balance. Because your core is responsible for holding your spine and pelvis in place, a strong core means that your body’s skeletal structure is well-aligned. Without a strong, aligned foundation, we would have issues maintaining our balance.
Core strengthening leads to strength all throughout the body, meaning you’ll be able to stand tall and confidently, as well as walk over any kind of terrain without the fear of losing your balance. And the best part? It doesn’t even take that long to reach this newfound balance. You can expect to notice this change within just a few sessions of core rehab.
The final quick benefit of core rehab is the effect it has on your posture. There have been many studies that have shown the negative effects that poor posture has on the body. From shrunken lung capacity, poor diaphragm activation, back and neck problems, to decreased self-confidence, there are so many reasons to prioritize good posture. And the best way to ensure you’re making the changes you need with your posture is with core strengthening and rehab.
Within just a couple of sessions, you’ll have a newfound awareness of your posture. Gone are the days of constantly reminding yourself to sit and stand up straight. Within weeks of starting core rehab, good posture will become a habit. And within months, it will become an instinct.
As you can see, there are many benefits to doing a core rehab and strengthening program. And to make things even better, you’ll be seeing many of these positive changes within days or weeks of getting started!
If you’ve been dealing with pain or other problems caused by a weakened core, it’s time to take back control of your life. I have been helping people change their lives with pelvis and core rehab therapy for over two decades, and I’ve seen firsthand the incredible impact that this therapy can have on people, even in just a few short weeks.
If you’re ready to take the first steps to change your life for good, I can help. Do you have more questions about the immediate benefits of core therapy? Ready to get started? Contact me today!
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