Move
FLICK THAT SWITCH R
Sore back? Switching on our core can remedy this. Craig Wise shows us how we can strengthen our core by wood chopping, travelling around the world, and becoming a dead bug. Exercises are demonstrated by Xanthia Wise.
20
DIABETES WELLNESS | Spring 2023
ecently, as I collected my girls from school, I watched another parent removing their squirming toddler from the car. As she stood up, she made the universal sign for a sore back: palms on the lower back, elbows sticking out like chicken wings. Following a brief chat, she told me that since the birth of her two children she had almost constantly lived with a ‘bad back’. However, she was mistaken. Her back wasn’t bad, her core was. A strong core is an integral part of being able to do physical activities and maintain our balance, which becomes an increasingly important ability as we age.
PAIN AND BAD BALANCE
There are four main signs of a weakened core area: lower back pain, poor posture, balance issues, and difficulty standing for extended periods of time. There are many times in our daily life when core engagement is a key factor in keeping our bodies safe. These include everyday activities such as picking up the kids, reaching into the back of the car to grab the bag of groceries, and bending over to pick something up, even something as seemingly gentle as walking up and down stairs. Strengthening the core involves targeting the muscles that connect the spine to the pelvic girdle and shoulders. This group of muscles gives us our correct posture and works with our glutes and legs to control movement.
