5 reasons why you should do core exercises every day
A common instruction to those with lower back pain is to “strengthen your core”
It is very probable that this is some of the best advice to give to someone with low back pain, the reasons to do these core exercises are not always clear. Many experts on low back pain also recommend that core exercises are done daily. We will try to clear this up for you as well. These are not the only reasons to do core exercises every day, but we hope they are convincing.
1. Build Muscular Endurance
In 1988, Fin Biering-Sorensen studied risk factors for lower back pain. It was found that low back pain was more common in individuals with lower isometric core muscle endurance. To put it very simply, people with core muscles that got tired in a shorter period of time had more low back pain than those whose core muscles could sustain a longer contraction. Building muscular endurance through core exercises is an important way that people with low back pain may be able to reduce the frequency of low back pain incidence.
2. Increase Body Awareness
As proposed above, isometric (or prolonged hold) are great for improving endurance, especially for people with low back pain. An isometric exercise is not a still hold. When I do these types of exercises, I can make minor adjustments to my low back position and gradually learn which small movements help low back pain and which small movements, as part of a core exercise, might be more aggravating. This knowledge has been helpful in using small movements when performing activities that are aggravating of low back pain (eg: prolonged standing and sitting). Core exercises can lead to a better awareness of small movements that can help make aggravating activities more tolerable.
3. Fine tune optimal posture
Posture is a two-sided issue. The low back pain part of posture has to do with how your best posture might limit aggravation of symptoms. Core exercises can improve this side of posture. The other side of posture is more aesthetic. Good posture looks better than poor posture. This may improve your mood or even help your clothes fit and look better. The postural benefits of daily core exercises are difficult to ignore.
«Core exercises are one of the elements of back pain treatment and prevention»
4. Pain Relief
Not all exercises are designed to relieve low back pain. But, in the case of well designed, held core exercises, low back pain relief may be a nice benefit. Isometric exercises have been shown to have an analgesic (pain relief) effect. While the intention of core exercises may be to prevent or reduce the incidence of low back pain, the side benefit of mild pain relief may be enough to keep you going throughout the day.
5. Empowerment
Suffering from low back pain can sometimes lead to a feeling of helplessness. Feeling helpless because of low back describes a locus of control that is more external. Exercises for low back pain can internalize a locus of control. This empowerment over one’s symptoms can lead to better outcomes when recovering from low back pain.
Back pain is a multidimensional, multifactorial issue. It is always important to consider the multiple elements that can help. Core muscle exercises are one of the elements of back pain treatment and prevention. To learn more come see our team at Inovo Medical
Written by Ben Matheson.
Mathieu Bélanger, MD, CCFP, CPSO Recognized Specialist (Chronic Pain), is the founder and President of Inovo Medical. Dr. Bélanger began his academic career by earning an undergraduate degree in kinesiology (i.e., the science of body mechanics) before enrolling in medicine at the University of Montréal. He is particularly interested in pain related to sports injuries and musculo-skeletal disorders. This interest led him to travel extensively for various types of training on pain treatment given by leading experts. Since then, his objective has been to play an active role in the development and delivery of the most sophisticated and effective treatments for chronic pain.
