When you think of core strength training, you most likely think of traditional crunches and sit ups that work only your abdominals. But the core is much more than that, it consists of all the muscles that stabilize the pelvis. The core is the center of gravity and where all our movements begin and end. The muscles that make up the core are responsible for controlling all your movements in all directions. Core strength training can relieve low back pain, prevent injury, and improve your overall muscular balance.

Your core consists of stabilization and movement muscles, which initiate and maintain proper muscular balance during all movements. You use your core muscles during all movements, including common daily movements and physical activity. Develop your core strength and you will improve your physical well being whether you are climbing stairs, picking up objects, walking, running or weight training.

If your stabilization system is week, your other muscles will compensate for most movements leading to muscular imbalance, pain, and worst of all injury. To develop a truly strong core a good core strength training program should target both the stabilization and movement system.

Stabilizer muscles include the deeper layer of muscles which include internal obliques, lumbar multifidus, pelvic floor muscles, diaphram, transversus abdominis, and transversospinlis. The movement muscles include the erector spinae, latissimus dorsi, iliopsoas, hip abductors, hip adductors, hamstrings, external obliques, and rectus abdominis.

Most core strength training programs leave out the stabilization muscles which is why many people experience low back pain among other types of pain. You can greatly improve your overall fitness, relieve low back pain and prevent injury by performing core exercises that target the stabilization muscles.

Crunches and sit ups are examples of core strength exercises that target the movement muscles. Performing these types of exercises with week stabilizing muscles can lead to pain and eventually injury because they place too much stress on the discs of the spine. But perform them with strong stabilizers and you will not only take inches of you waist but protect your spine.

Having strong abdominals does not mean you have a strong core. Even those who have a six pack may experience low back pain and other types of injury due to the fact that they have week stabilizing muscles. You have to properly train the stabilization system as well as the movement system.

Example stabilization exercises include marching, plank, bridge and cobra. Example movement exercises include sit ups, crunches, leg raises, and back extensions. There are many variations to these exercises. Include at least one stabilization and one movement type exercise in your core strength training program for optimum results.