By: Arianne Missimer RD, LDN, CSCS, T.P.I Certified Golf Fitness Instructor, T.P.I Golf Medical Professional, Functional Movement Specialist, Owner of CORE Fitness

Most people think your core is comprised of your abdominal muscles and lower back. However, the muscles that support your hips, torso, and shoulders are the foundation for human movement. The muscles that surround and stabilize your spine during static and dynamic movements are referred to as your “pillar of strength.” Whether you are just beginning a fitness program for the first time, rehabilitating from an injury, or are an athlete looking to reach the next level of performance, core training (functional training) encompasses a foundation for quality movement. Regardless of your goals or needs, a scientific and sequential approach to training the core is imperative.
Core training begins with postural re-education in static positions, progressing toward dynamic movement as you gain neuromuscular control and awareness of your inner unit (local) and outer unit (global) of core musculature. Your outer unit, or your prime movers, consists of your external obliques, rectus abdominus, and erector spinae. Your inner unit, or deep stabilizers, is comprised of the diaphragm, transversus abdominus, internal oblique, multifidus, pelvic floor, glute medius, and illiopsoas, and quadratus lumborum. With respect to the first weight bearing joint during primitive movement, the shoulder, it is evident that scapular (shoulder blades) and shoulder stability are also important in training the core. The optimal recruitment of these deep muscles is what is important, however, and they should turn on prior to any limb movement. Many times, individuals use only their global muscles to stabilize the trunk during functional activities; this can contribute to the risk of injury. Therefore, the goal of training is not to isolate the smaller, deeper local muscles, but to work on reflex stabilization. The muscles of the core are reflex-driven in an attempt to stabilize the spine so that more efficient movement patterns of the extremities can be produced.  However, in the case of low back pain, postural imbalances, improper training, and faulty movement patterns, the core muscles do not reflexively stabilize. To effectively train the core, a co-contraction of these muscles, which produces force through the thoracolumbar fascia and creates intra-abdominal pressure, is necessary to stabilize the lumbar spine. So, when you hear the term, “core training,” remember it means, much more than doing crunches and back extensions.

If you are separating core and function, you are training incorrectly and inefficiently. The most fundamental activities of the human body revolve around simple and basic patterns of movements. Think about how movement evolves. There is a developmental sequence that starts at infancy and develops through childhood (rolling,  crawling, and walking). Consequently, aggressive core training occurs during early child development before babies take their first steps without any coaching. With each progression, they learn to stabilize their pillar. Therefore, the core should be trained through functional movements.

Hence, core training is a scientific methodology that involves a functional and progressive approach to movement re-education and performance enhancement. Functional movements are not based on single joint or muscle movements; rather they are combinations of movement patterns.

About CORE Fitness
We are committed to not only enhancing your performance and preventing injury but also improving your life. If you want to be pain-free, strong, and healthy, our team of performance specialists, using our scientific methodology of training beginning with our thorough assessment designed to identify faulty movement patterns, asymmetries, and imbalances, will help you.

Proper nutrition, corrective exercise, regeneration, and recovery, combined with our pyramid of stabilization, strength, and power/reactive training (supporting a model of foundation, functional movement, and skill) encompass our proven system. To ensure sustainable excellence, the CORE team of specialists will analyze and assess your individual needs, rehabilitate and restore efficient movement patterns, train and condition you to meet the demands of your lifestyle, and ultimately maximize your performance. CORE Fitness is a revolutionary approach to fitness training that supports how you move, work, and play every day. It is an intelligent training system that corrects imbalances and strengthens and stabilizes weak muscles from the inside out. Lastly, we strongly believe in a mind-body approach because presence and awareness in your training are vital to moving with subtlety and ease, creating more efficient movement, for greater motor control. Train smarter, perform better.

Testimonial
“I was diagnosed with what appeared to be a chronic, progressive disability nearly five years ago. Since training at CORE, my balance is better so that I have fewer falls, and my ballroom dancing has improved. Improved core strength allows me to do heavy duty gardening without back pain. Since I began working out with a trainer at CORE Fitness, I have had the stamina to do some adventure travel. I hiked 3/4 of the way up Mt. Whitney, walked for a long day on the steep Incan trails in Peru, zipped right up 800 step in Petra, and I am now planning a hiking trip to Nepal and Bhutan. At age 63, the only medication I take is a bone density medication. Before I started the training, I was taking several types of anti-inflammatory drugs. The dollars I would spend on medicine I use to pay the trainer! The weight I have lost is the icing on the cake. My clothes are a better fit. I even have a pair of non-mommy jeans. Working out consistently has had a very positive effect on my mood. I have a son who has been a helicopter pilot in Afghanistan for the last few years. My training has not kept him safe, but it has been a factor in keeping excessive worry at bay.”
~ Gynnie Moody,
CORE Fitness client for five years.

Arianne Missimer is a Registered Dietitian, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Physical Therapy at Neumann University. She is also the owner of CORE Fitness, an exclusive fitness center located in North Wilmington. CORE Fitness specializes in one-on-one personal training for performance enhancement and injury prevention. This training method utilizes functional movement patterns for a complete fitness program, addressing movement efficiency, balance, flexibility, strength, coordination, speed, power, and endurance.  Arianne trains a diverse group of clientele, including recreational and competitive athletes at all levels, to improve their game through proper core conditioning and functional training. With eleven years of experience in the field, she is committed to restoring optimal health and fitness to people of all ages with acute and chronic conditions, functional limitations, and disabilities.