3 Reasons Kids and Teens Need Strong Core Muscles
Core muscles are an incredibly important group of muscles in our body. They help us do everything from walking and talking to breathing. This week we are going to take a look at core muscles, why they are important, and some simple ways to make them stronger. Let’s dive in!
What Are Core Muscles?
Core muscles refer to the many layers of muscle that surround the middle section of our bodies. They include:
Muscles that cover the front of your trunk and flex or bend your body forward.
Muscles that cover the sides of your body and bend your body from side to side and rotate (twist) it left and right.
Muscles on the back of your body and bend your body backward.
Many of these muscles groups have other important functions like helping to:
Expand your chest for breathing
Control your intraabdominal pressure
Stabilize your spine
There are several other groups of muscles that are often included under the title of core muscles. First are the gluteal muscles which cover the back side of your pelvis. The gluts move the hip and keep it stable. Second are the pelvic floor muscles which are located within your pelvis. These muscles help control urination and bowel movements and support all of the organs in that area such as the bladder.
Why Do Kids and Teens Need a Strong Core?
Now that we know what our core muscles are, let’s talk about the 3 important reasons why kids need to develop a strong core:
1. Posture: Our core muscles are the primary groups of muscles in charge of our posture. When we have properly aligned posture we will see that the ear, shoulder, hip, knee, and ankle all line up when viewed from the side. In this position our body is able to move and function efficiently causing the least amount of wear and tear on our joints. But, if our core muscles are not strong enough to hold our bodies in this aligned position then when end up in malaligned postures. Over time these malalignments can become permanent.
2. Proximal stability Before Distal Mobility: Proximal means closest to the center which makes our trunk and core muscles the proximal part of our body. Distal means further away from the center which makes our arms, legs, hands feet, etc the distal parts of our body. According to this principle, the distal parts of our body cannot move around and do their jobs unless they are attached to and supported by a stable proximal part. For example, if your arm and hand (distal part) are trying to reach forward and grab your water bottle off of the table, they are depending on your core muscles (proximal part) to be stable and strong holding everything in place. Without a stable base to work from, these distal parts cannot do their jobs. Our core muscles provide that stable base from which all movement comes!
3. Core Weakness Can Impact Skill Development: Now that we understand that without a strong core we can end up with poor posture and without a stable base moving our arms and legs is difficult, t makes sense that without a strong core development gross and fine motor skills can be very difficult. Image trying to balance on one foot so that you can learn to kick a ball with a weak or unstable core. Or imagine picking up a pair of scissors for the first time trying to hold a piece of paper with one hand and cut with the scissors in your other hand while your body is swaying back and forth because your core is weak. Not likely right?
How Can Kids and Teens Strengthen Their Core Muscles?
Babies: Make sure they spend most of their time out of containers and playing freely. Being in the prone position, lying on their backs reaching for toys, etc. all strengthen the core muscles. When you are holding your baby bounce them on your knee, dance, and move around with them. Even supported by you they are learning how to use those core muscles.
Kids and Teens: Play and Move. The very nature of the games and ways children play encourage strengthening of core muscles. So encouraging them to get away from their devices and go play is a great start.
Targeted Exercises: There are tons of simple exercises that can improve core strength. My very first video has a complete description and visual demonstration of many of these exercises. I will link it here. Please remember it was literally my first video so my editing skills were brand new. But here are a few exercises you can start with:
Bridging: You can do it with or without a ball between your knees. If you master bridging you can up the difficulty level with a single leg version.
Superman: If it’s too difficult to perform this exercises as is start by just lifting your arms and then add you legs later.
Planks: There are lots of simple ways to modify planks to improve your strength over time: Start with extended arms and bent knees, then try extended arms and extended knees, and finally work up to forearms and extended knees. We have also used a bosu ball for plank exercises which was really challenging. You can check that out in our Bosu Ball Activities Video.
Seated: You can also get an amazing core workout in the seated position. Try leaning side to side or front and back, making circles with your trunk, lifting your arms out to the side and shifting back and forth, or performing a cross punch where you reach across your body as you punch twisting your trunk as you move. I have an entire playlist of seated workouts that might be helpful.
Games: For little kids that may not really be interested in specific exercises try animal walks like crab walk, elephant walk, or bear walk. And for a more advanced activity try wheelbarrow walking.
*If you are interested in a FREE PRINTABLE with these exercises click here.
Thanks so much for stopping by today. I hope you found this post helpful! If you would like to see my video on this content be sure to check out this link.
-Heather
This post contains affiliate links. Pediatric Therapy Essentials, LLC participates in the Amazon Associates Program. Should you choose to use these links, this channel may earn affiliate commissions at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
