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By strengthening your core muscles, you strengthen your whole body from the inside out. Picture your body as a house. The concrete foundation represents your core muscles, while the rest of the house made of wood and a brick represents your outer muscles (back, chest, arms, etc). If you only concentrate on building the top part of the house (i.e. conventional weight lifting) while paying little attention to the foundation (your core muscles), the final product is a weak overall structure regardless of how fit and muscular you may appear to be. By properly targeting your core muscles you will build a strong foundation which will serve as a better support for the rest of the structure. The deep layer muscles run along the spine and provide deep support and postural information to the brain. The four main middle layer muscles that support your spine are the transversus abdominis, the multifidus, the quadratus lumborum, and the internal obliques, and work together to keep the spine stable and strong. New research shows that one common cause of back pain is weak core muscles. Even people who have well developed outer muscles can have weak core muscles, thus leading to back pain. This is because back pain is a result of a lack of muscular support to the spine, and it is not the outer muscles that support the spine, but rather the middle and deep layer muscles that serve this function. By following proper exercises that specifically target the middle and deep layer “core” muscles you can build a strong foundation for your spine, which will help decrease back pain or In fact, chronically wearing a “back support” belt or back brace for prolonged periods of time can lead to core muscle weakness by training your core muscles to turn off. You body learns that the belt or brace will support your spine, thus shutting down your core muscles when spinal support is needed. So if you think you are protecting your back by chronically wearing such devices, you are in fact doing your back a disservice. So how do you train these core muscles? One answer lies in one of the best inventions in fitness in a long time – the stability ball! The stability ball allows you to take your exercise routine to a new level, challenging not only your conventional muscles, but also your core muscles that will strengthen your spine. Watch for upcoming workshops with kinesiologist and personal trainer Amir Nevo at your local Nubody’s fitness club, where you can learn how to effectively exercise your core muscles, making you fitter and stronger from the inside out! Amir Nevo is a kinesiologist and personal trainer and can be contacted on his website: www.healthwave.ca By Amir Nevo, BScK, CSCS, PFLC
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What is core strength and why is it important? Core strength is a real catch word these days. Exercisers use it, personal trainers use it, magazines articles talk about it, and experts praise it. The problem with this catch word is that everyone has a different interpretation and definition. 
decrease the risk of back pain issues. 
