What Is The Fastest Way To Strengthen The Core From Pain?

Two women working out together, one doing a crunch while the other assists.

When you have a weak core, you may suffer from pain in several areas of your body. Your core consists of many different muscles throughout your torso. These large muscle groups aid in bending, stretching, and balance. A stronger core will help to improve the chronic pain that may be plaguing you.

What Are The Signs Of A Weak Core?

You may experience pain in different parts of your body when the muscles in your torso are weak. Your core muscles support your posture so you can sit and stand up straight. Your spine is pulled out of alignment when the muscles in your mid-section are weak. Five signs and symptoms of a weak core are:

Pain in your lower back - Your back is achy after sitting or standing for some time. You have a sharp pain in one spot of your back or a dull ache.
Bad posture - You slouch in your chair with your shoulders slumped forward. You find it difficult to stand up straight.
Difficulty with balance - You are unsteady on your feet when standing, walking, or bending.
Unable to stand for some time - You have a hard time standing for more than a couple of minutes. Your lower back begins to hurt, and you experience discomfort in your hips, legs, knees, ankles, or feet.
Shortness of breath - You experience shortness of breath or are unable to take deep breaths. A weak core causes slouching, which constricts the lungs.

What Causes A Weak Core?

Your torso consists of several muscle groups and over thirty-five individual muscles. All these muscles must be strong for your body as a whole to be strong. Your core consists of the following muscles:

Pelvic floor muscles
Transversus abdominis
Multifidus
Obliques
Rectus abdominis
Erector spinae
Diaphragm
Latissimus dorsi
Gluteus maximus
Trapezius.

Every muscle in the torso can become compromised if any one of them is tight or weak. Sitting for long periods and not engaging your muscles causes weakness in your body. You can keep your core strong by actively engaging these muscles.

How To Get A Stronger Core?

Body aches and pains are a result of instability in your torso. Without core stability, the vertebrae and ligaments in your back become stretched or compressed. You can do basic core exercises to strengthen the muscles in your torso and eliminate this pain. Another way to strengthen your mid-section is to improve your posture.

Maintaining good posture is an important way to keep the muscles and nerves in your back healthy. Poor posture, or slouching, causes tense muscles to pull the body out of alignment. Good posture is necessary to reduce discomfort in your back, neck, shoulders, and hips. Proper posture also promotes a healthy core.

How Do You Strengthen A Weak Core?

There are many exercises and techniques you can do to strengthen the muscles in your mid-section. These exercises will help strengthen your torso and the rest of your body. You can practice some of these techniques at home, while others require gym equipment.

Strength training helps to develop specific muscles in your body. This training focuses on a section of muscles in one area at a time. Strength training focused on the core muscle groups prevents back pain, poor posture, and breathing issues.

What Exercises Strengthen The Core?

There are many exercises and stretches that are beneficial for your core. It is important to make sure you are engaging the different muscle groups and not just focusing on one area. Working your core does not mean laying on the ground doing hundreds of crunches. Some workouts that benefit the core and work out your entire body are:

Rowing
Bicycling
Kettlebell Exercises
Kickboxing
Pilates
Yoga

Should You Do Core Exercises Every Day?

When strengthening your body to aid in pain relief, you should take caution not to overwork your abdominals. You will increase your risk of injury if you over-work your muscles. You don’t often realize it, but your mid-section is engaged when you work out other muscle groups like your arms and legs. You should exercise your core only two to three times per week.

How Can You Strengthen The Core At Home?

If going to the gym isn’t your cup of tea, there are other things you can do. There are many ways you can strengthen your core from the comfort of your own home. These are exercises that will build your strength and decrease chronic pain:

Plank

Get on the floor in a push-up position with your hands flat and toes curled. You can either hold yourself up with straight arms or on your forearms. Keep your body straight and hold that position for as long as you can. Try to work yourself up to being able to hold it for one minute and then keep increasing the time.

Side Plank

Lay on your right side and support your upper body on your right forearm. Keep your left arm at your left side. Lift your hips and support your weight on the forearm and right foot. Extend your left arm above your shoulder. Hold for 30 seconds. Then repeat on your left side.

Superman

Lay on your stomach with your arms and legs extended. Raise your head, right arm, and left leg about 4-5 inches off the floor. Hold for five seconds and then lower back down to the starting position. Repeat this with your left arm and right leg. Repeat this ten times.

Chair Crunches

Lay on the floor in a sit-up position but with knees at a 90-degree angle. Rest your feet on a chair. Lift your head, neck, and shoulders off the floor and hold yourself up for 2 seconds. Repeat this sit-up motion ten times, rest for one minute, and then do two more sets.

Bridge

Lay on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor, and arms at your side. Lift your hips and lower back off the floor and hold the position for 10 seconds. Repeat 10 times, rest for 1 minute and do two more sets.

Yoga Cat-Cow Stretch

Get on your hands and knees. Arch your back and pull your belly button toward your spine. Hold this position for at least 10 seconds. Then bend your back down and push your belly button toward the floor. Repeat this cat-cow movement ten times.

How Do You Test Core Strength?

If you slouch, have lower back, hip, neck, and shoulder pain, then you likely have a weak core. If you need your arms to lift yourself out of bed or a chair, you have a weak core. If your lower back arches when you are standing, that is another sign your core is weak.

If you are not sure if your core is strong, here is one exercise to test your strength:

Start off in the plank position on your forearms. Hold for 60 seconds.
Lift your right arm off the ground. Hold for 15 seconds.
Lift your left arm. Hold for 15 seconds.
Lift your right leg. Hold for 15 seconds.
Lift your left leg. Hold for 15 seconds.
Lift your left leg and right arm. Hold for 15 seconds.
Lift your right leg and left arm. Hold for 15 seconds.
Return to the plank position, elbows on the ground. Hold for 30 seconds.

If you can complete this exercise, then you have a strong core. If you cannot complete it, keep at it, this should be your goal. Strengthening the core is vital for well-being as it will help relieve your discomfort if you have chronic pain.