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Core Strength Made Simple: Expert Physical Therapy Tips
November 5, 2024
Core Strength Made Simple:Expert Physical Therapy Tips
Is back pain making standing tall more difficult? Have you noticed you don’t feel as balanced as you once used to? What’s the connection? These are both signs that may indicate core muscle weakness. At Foundation Therapy, our physical therapists can help you figure out if your core is affecting your condition and, if so, how to get it strong again!
Your core muscles help you do a lot — from sitting to standing to getting up and down from chairs. A strong core allows smooth, coordinated actions, thus impacting almost every activity you do every day. If your core muscles are weak, they may affect your function and possibly your pain levels.
It’s important to note that core muscles are not just important for physical fitness but are also essential to the overall quality of life. Our physical therapists understand the importance of core strength and will assess you to determine if it’s affecting your daily activities. With our expert guidance, you’ll learn how to engage your muscles in how they were designed to move!
Contact us today to set up an appointment or learn more about how our team can help you strengthen your core!
What Is the “Core”?
When most people think of core muscles, they immediately think of the abdominals. However, the core muscles comprise the lower back, hip, pelvis, pelvic floor, and even the diaphragm muscle.
Significant weakness in the core will often lead to compensations and straining of different body areas, most commonly the back and neck muscles. As a result, this leads to undesirable consequences, such as poor posture, fatigue, or pain.
The muscles that make up your core are designed to help stabilize your body, support your posture, ensure your balance, and support movements in all directions. If any of these muscles are weak, injured, or used inappropriately, your trunk becomes unstable, making it difficult for your body to function correctly.
The core assists in almost every movement, from bending down to picking up an object to standing up straight. It also plays a significant role in breathing, lifting a heavy object, twisting your body, or even just walking. Core strength is also essential in sports performances, allowing the body to balance and control movements while running, jumping, and sustaining contact. A strong core enhances power, speed, coordination, and agility with all sports and recreational pursuits. It also can help reduce the risk of injuries and may help to prevent chronic lower back pain.
A strong core is vital to your overall health, functional movement, and athletic performance. Proper core training helps maintain spine health, ensures optimal performance in your daily life, and can help prevent various injuries.
Building Core Strength with Expert Guidance
Physical therapy is a great starting point for building your core strength. Our licensed therapists will conduct a detailed evaluation to identify the underlying muscle weaknesses and strategies to strengthen them.
Whether you feel pain in your back, neck, shoulders, or legs, we will thoroughly analyze your posture, movement patterns, and strength, pinpointing the exact cause of the pain. From there, we will create an individualized treatment plan for you based on your specific needs to strengthen your core, improve your posture, and alleviate pain.
Core stability is about both muscular strength and proper sensory input. This sensory input informs the central nervous system about your body’s movements and positions to facilitate specific actions, ensuring your body reacts appropriately. When functioning properly, our body can perform the most basic tasks and advanced athletic activities.
Our therapists will design a program to teach you how to use your core muscles properly. We will create a strength program focusing on core-specific exercises and progressing to multi-joint free-weight exercises for comprehensive core muscle training. You can anticipate continuous feedback and guidance for fine-tuning your movements to ensure optimal spinal stabilization through a strong core.
Book Your Appointment at Foundation Therapy Today!
Our physical therapy team will assess your condition to identify how your core affects your function. We’ll educate you on how your core affects your physical activity and contributes to the pain you may be experiencing. Our individualized exercise programs can reduce your pain and improve your overall quality of life!
Call us today to set up an appointment!
Return to PT at Foundation Therapy!
Miss feeling your best? Come back to Foundation Therapy and let us help you get there—schedule your appointment today!
Request Appointment Thankfulness: A Simple Practice with Powerful Health Benefits
As we approach the holiday season, it’s a perfect time to reflect on the power of thankfulness. Being grateful not only boosts your mood, but it can also improve your overall health and quality of life.
Studies show that practicing gratitude can reduce stress, improve mental health, and even enhance physical well-being. When we focus on what we’re thankful for, it releases feel-good hormones like dopamine and serotonin, which help lower stress levels and create a more positive mindset. This, in turn, can lead to better sleep, reduced blood pressure, and a stronger immune system.
Gratitude also strengthens relationships by fostering a sense of connection and support with those around you. Whether it’s thanking your loved ones or acknowledging the little things in life, gratitude can help you build a stronger social network, which is essential for emotional and physical well-being.
Incorporating thankfulness into your daily routine is simple—start with writing down three things you’re grateful for each day. Over time, this practice can enhance your mood, reduce anxiety, and improve your overall quality of life. This November, let’s all take a moment to give thanks and experience the lasting benefits of gratitude.
“In February I hurt my back snowboarding. After back injections I started physical therapy. After several weeks of work the employees at Foundation Therapy got me back. Thanks to FT for all the work! Thank You! And thanks for keeping me going at 66 years old.”
— Chris F.
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Toss the sweet potatoes with the oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a medium bowl until evenly coated.
Place the potatoes in the basket of a 6-quart air fryer. Cook at 400 degrees F until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, flipping halfway through, 35 to 40 minutes.
Cut lengthwise along the top of each potato, being careful of the hot steam, then fluff the inside with a fork and season with a pinch of salt. Top with a pat of butter and chopped fresh chives.
Farewell Maudie!
Farewell and heartfelt thanks to Maudie, our wonderful Patient Care Specialist, who has brought warmth, kindness, and dedication to Foundation Therapy. Maudie, your care and hard work have made a lasting difference to our team and patients alike. We will miss you dearly but are excited to see where your next chapter takes you! Wishing you all the best and joyful adventures ahead – thank you for everything!
