Core Stability and Strength is Key

Injury prevention and rehabilitation, better posture and limb function, greater body positioning awareness (known as proprioception) and improved balance and co-ordination can all be attributed to good core stability and strength. Core Stability is the ability to deal with perturbations in which proprioception plays an important role. For a physical activity to be performed the brain must constantly monitor limb position and velocity and posture and make adjustments to muscles as needed to provide balance. Sometimes these adjustments need to be made quickly and proprioceptor reflex circuits are thought to allow fast and unconscious execution of movements. When we challenge proprioception during training activities, as in the example of using unstable surfaces, it forces us to engage our core muscles thereby strengthening them and improving our balance.