You can work your core a lot, but make sure you perform exercises properly to avoid injury! If you experience any pain, come see us at San Diego Sports Physical Therapy – 619.756.7500

What are the first things you think of when you hear someone talk about working the “core”?
Crunches
Sit-ups
Abs
The list could go on with similar exercises, but if these, and others like them, are the only exercises used, you may be not be working a significant part of the core. The core has been defined (Wilkerson, et al., 2012) as:
The lumbopelvic-hip complex, which is composed of the lumbar vertebrae, pelvis, and hip joints and the active and passive structures that either produce or restrict movements of these segments.

In short, or easier to understand terms, the core is more than just the abs, or the muscles on the front side of the body. The core also includes the muscles of the hips and low back. These muscles are important to the lower body as they assist in controlling the position and motion of the trunk over the pelvis and leg.
In a study by Leetus, et al. (2004), individuals who had sustained a lower body injury were found to have statistically significant differences in strength on hip abduction and hip external rotation exercises compared to non-injured participants. Another study (Wilkerson, et al., 2012), found that low back dysfunction and poor endurance of the core musculature were predictors of injury that could be modified.

By working all of the muscles of the core, individuals can increase core strength and core stability in hopes of modifying lower body injury risk predictors. A few simple exercises that you might consider adding to a workout might include:

Back Extensions on the ground or on a ball as in the picture above

Clamshells as is described below:
For this exercise, position the body in a supine position on the floor with the hips and knees bent about 45 degrees with a mini band around knees and heels on the ground. The knees should be placed beside each other while keeping the band taut.
Movement: Keep one knee stationary throughout the movement. Open the other knee to the outside of the body by performing hip external rotation against the resistance while keeping the heel planted on the ground. Slowly return to the starting position.
Tips: Do not allow the stationary knee to move during the exercise. This exercise can also be done by lying on your side if lacking stabilization in the hips to keep the “stationary”leg/knee from moving.

These exercises along with many other traditional exercises such as crunches, bridges and side bridges may help increase the motor control and muscular capacity of the lumbo-pelvic hip complex leading to increased core stability, which has been found to be a possible modifiable risk factor for lower body injuries (Leetun, et al., 2004; Wilkerson, et al., 2012). While the research is somewhat mixed on the importance of force output compared to endurance of these muscles, for beginners it appears it may be more important to start with muscular endurance.

References
Leetun, D. T., Ireland, M. L., Wilson, J. D., Ballantyne, B. T., & Davis, I. M. (2004). Core stability measures as risk factors for lower extremity injury in athletes. Med & Sci in Sports & Exercise, 36(6), 926-934. doi: 10.1249/01.MSS.0000128145.75199.C3
Wilkerson, G. B., Giles, J. L., & Seibel, D. K. (2012). Prediction of core and lower extremity strains and sprains in collegiate football players: A preliminary study. Journal of Athletic Training, 47(3), 264-272. doi: 10.4085/1062-6050-47.3.17