Top 3 Core Hackers

Do you have trouble engaging the mid section of your body known as the core? Do you feel exercise is not helping or you are not sure where to start? Having a healthy core is achievable for anyone who is willing to learn and make a few lifestyle changes. There are 3 things that can disrupt normal muscle patterns and it may not be obvious.

Let's begin with the most common core hacker, PAIN. If you have pain anywhere in your body, your brain goes into protective mode to guard and prevent movement. This is a natural process and once the pain is removed, all should be well, right? Well, not exactly. Muscles go "on strike" and become inhibited with pain. According to Vladimir Janda, a 20th century physician, muscles behave in a very predictable pattern in the presence of pain or dysfunction. In the pelvic area, the muscles that SHUT DOWN or stop working include the transverse abdominus (TA) along with the glutes, quadriceps and eccentric or lengthening function of the hamstrings. Other muscles become tight and and dysfunctional, affecting function as well as causing pain and spasms, creating a vicious cycle that doesn't go away on its own without help. These are the muscles many people struggle with and are SYMPTOMS of an unhealthy core: piriformis and other hip rotators, rectus abdominus, hamstrings, paraspinals, hip flexors, short groin muscles and pelvic floor muscles.

Another common core hacker is gut INFLAMMATION. When bloating occurs, the deep abdominal muscles relax and shut down. The viscerocutaneus reflex is a protective response that inhibits the muscles in the area overlying the organs, or viscera. The Standard American diet known as SAD is not the best diet for a healthy core. Much of the food we consume causes bloating and gas, causing the abdominal muscles to distend and go "on strike". In addition, straining to eliminate stool creates abnormal breathing and muscle patterns that perpetuates the muscle tension cycle and is tough to break without help. If you suffer from bloating, gas, constipation or incomplete evacuation of stool, your core could be suffering, too.

Another core hacker is movement loss or STIFFNESS in the area above and below the core, namely the thoracic spine and hips. The lumbar spine (the area in the small of your back ) is supposed to be a stable segment, allowing the hips and upper spine to move freely. When there is a restriction in movement of either the spine or hips, the core has more resistance and has to work harder. For example, imagine walking uphill with an umbrella against a heavy rain storm. That's what the core has to do with tight hips or a tight upper back. Also, when the core isn't working properly, other muscles have to help out, creating tension in the hips and spine that perpetuates the issue.

In order to have a healthy core, you need to avoid the common core hackers of PAIN, INFLAMMATION and STIFFNESS. Click here if you would like to receive our FREE guide, 3 Steps to a Healthy Core, so you can get back to living and stop chasing symptoms of an unhealthy core. Don't delay; a healthy core is simple to achieve with the right knowledge and a plan!