Other muscles closer to the surface help with core stabilization and also help you move . These include muscles in your back and buttocks , the adductor muscles of the inner thigh , and the muscles around your pelvis and hips in front and at your sides . Your inner core muscles work mainly to center your body energy and allow smooth movement of your feet , legs , and your arms from your torso .
Core stabilization strengthens the muscles of the core and helps you learn to use the inner muscles before you start to move . The core stabilization focuses on stability , breathing , and smooth , coordinated movement of your arms , legs , and feet , providing posture and centering for dance movement . Without core stabilization , dancers tend to look and move like dolls as their bodies move in lock-step with their dance movements .
Why is core stabilization important ? All the parts of your body are connected to one another , directly or indirectly . Think of a chain as the connection : for example , imagine a chain starting at your foot and running through your ankle , calf , knee , thigh , and hip to your pelvis and spine . This is called the kinetic chain , and it means that moving one part of your body can affect another body part . Your trunk is where the kinetic chains come together for core body energy and support for movement .
Now imagine throwing a ball , and imagine that as you throw , you step on a rock and twist your ankle . When your ankle twists , your knee and hip follow along , and the smooth motion you were making with your throwing arm is disrupted . You might injure any joint along the chain from your ankle to your arm , and the ball you were throwing goes off in the wrong direction . That ’ s the kinetic chain , connecting all the parts of your body together into a whole . A problem or weakness in one part of the chain can lead to pain or injury in another part .
The example of stepping on a rock as you throw applies to all the movements you make : your movements are all related to one another . Strengthening your trunk gives greater stability and power to the whole kinetic chain and allows control as you move . Focusing on the core of the body as a way to promote strength and good health is an ancient idea . Yoga , Pilates , and martial arts such as tai chi all use this concept . Your trunk ( core ), where the kinetic chains come together , is the foundation for your posture , balance , and coordinated movement . The muscles of your trunk — your core — can be strengthened and trained to contract in the proper order to give you this stable foundation for movement . The benefits include :
• The strong , healthy feeling that comes from good posture .
• Confidence from strength and good balance .
• Greater strength and power for your activities .
• Better balance and less chance of injury .
• Decrease in , or prevention of , low back pain .
Core stabilization exercise can : Improve your posture . Improve your balance and movement quality . Help protect you from injury if you fall . Core stabilization and energy allows dancers to move legs and feet easily . Core stabilization is not a new form of exercise ; however , there are simple exercises that can increase core stability and improve dance movement .
How can I increase my core strength and stability ? Core stabilization exercises are easy to do . You can start with the simple exercises you learn here . You don ’ t need any equipment for these exercises , and you don ’ t need much space . You can do them almost anywhere , several times each day , to start increasing your core stability . You can even do some seated in a chair to energize your sitting posture at work .
It ’ s more important that you do core stabilization activities
May 2021 � The Belly Dance Chronicles 53