Core Muscles and Self Defense?

Self Defense and Your Core Muscles?

What, you may be asking, do core muscles have to do with self defense or preparing for emergencies?

As I have mentioned before, when you pay attention to your core muscles you get an added side benefit in your self defense program.

For self defense, it is important to avoid looking like a victim. One way to do that is by projecting good posture, flexibility and good health. You look more vital and energetic with a toned core.

For emergency preparedness, a strong core helps your endurance and performance during emergency activities.

What Are Core Muscles?

Most people equate "core" with abs only. The reality is that your core includes your upper back muscles (head carriage), gluteals (pelvis stabilization), oblique and what you consider "abs"

These four muscle groups are the major ones that usually frame your posture.

Hence, a good posture reflects the good condition of these muscle areas.

What many people do not know is that core muscles are actually the CORE, or the central part, for ALL the strength you need to carry out most physical activities. This means that if your core muscles are physically powerful, you will maintain a better balance and will be more stabilized every time you are working out or just moving.

Strengthening Core Muscles.

The main function of the core muscles is to provide enough power to enable you to cope up with the challenges of every physical activity that a person encounters. (Specially during emergency situations.)

This is why many health and fitness experts stress the importance of strengthening your core muscles more than the other muscles of your body. Experiments have shown that having a stronger core can lessen a lot of health problems relating to posture.

For instance, well-conditioned core muscles will result in better posture. It can also increase the strength and endurance of the back all through the day.

Why? Because core muscles are the ones that keep the proper stabilization of the whole upper and lower torso.

Here is a list of a few of the benefits of a stretching and exercising your core muscle group.

1. Strengthening core muscles will improve your posture and help prevent lower back pain. Remember to work the lower back as much as the abs. If you neglect the lower back, the stronger abs and gluts will pull on the lower back, causing pain.

2. It will help tone the muscles, thereby, avoiding further back injury

3. Improves physical performance

Exercising the core muscles with slow, static stretching is effective in relieving stiffness and enhances your flexibility. Once your flexibility has improved, you will be able to perform physical activities better.

Static stretching for core muscles is best for these muscles and connective tissues. And because it employs slow stretches only, it will not cause any soreness, as do the quick, bouncing exercises that rely on jerky muscle contraction.

5. Lengthening your core muscles help avoid being unbalanced as you get older.

Core muscle exercises lengthen the muscles that have contracted as a result of pain. It also prevents pain from vigorous exercise if they are included at the end of each workout.

Health and fitness experts highly recommend starting core work out immediately and repeating the routine at least 2 times a week. The process can be done after the workout or even during the activity, for about 10 to 20 minutes only.

My profile page has a couple links for more information.