PHYSICAL THERAPY
An important aspect of physical therapy is to not only treat the area of dysfunction our patients present with, but to also identify imbalances and deficits in other areas of the body that can lead to reinjury. One such area is core strength and stability. In my brief time as a Physical Therapist Assistant, I have noticed that through the wide range of patients I have treated, core deficits are increasingly common. This affects all age ranges from young athletes to older patients and can lead to a variety of issues if not corrected.
When I think of the “core” muscles, the below list is what I envision and where I try to target my exercise routines.
Reasons behind a lack of core strength can vary but one cause for it becoming increasingly common could be that we spend more time at computer screens and on smart phones using improper posture which weakens core stabilizers and can lead to a myriad of injuries and imbalances. Ergonomics is of course an important area to focus our attention on with people that work in jobs that require prolonged sitting and standing or those that spend extended time on phones or laptops. It's focus is postural corrective activities to retrain muscles and cue our bodies to remain more upright with a neutral spine. However, most importantly we must focus on core strengthening to increase our endurance and stability when we find our correct posture so we can hold position and support our bodies. A strong core is the basis for all movement and can prevent or reduce low back pain, increase balance, and improve upper and lower extremity mobility and strength.
Observing this in my own patients has made me cognizant of my own postural deficiencies as I work towards correcting them in my own daily workout routine. Utilizing exercises like planking, bridges and quadruped based activities are easy ways to start a core-based workout routine. Below is a plank routine that I use myself and with patients that I find the most beneficial for fast overall core strength that targets multiple muscles at one time. Another benefit to planks is the upper and lower extremity strengthening and stabilizing they provide to target multiple areas. These planks can be modified based on the person’s ability to get into position and hold. Cues can be given for pelvic floor activation as well and breathing to work the diaphragm.
Plank starting at 30 second holds and progressing.
Plank dips 10x each side (alternating)
Plank knee to elbow 10x each side
Plank 360 clockwise and counter clockwise (rotating the hips in a circular pattern 10x each)
Modified plank position
