As we discussed in the first part of this article, the core muscles are active all the time and most people don t even know what the muscles are and how they work anyway. We will now take at look at the muscles of the core and how they work. I ll explain how to work them safely and effectively without creating unnecessary risk of injury.

Core muscles include: the abs, the obliques, and muscles of the lower back. Hip flexors will almost always end up getting worked in this group as well. The primary role of all of these muscles is to stabilize your trunk. Your trunk needs all of these muscles to keep

it stable because your spine is a flexible bendable series of small bones. These muscles work in a very complex way because they need to keep your spine protected from twisting or bending too far and breaking. This is where the confusion about core training comes in.

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Fit Balls, Swiss Balls, Physio Balls and Exercise Balls! Call them what you will, we all know what you re talking about - those big blow up balls of different sizes and colours you have always wanted to try but never had the chance. They are becoming a favoured tool of the personal trainer, the must have piece of equipment for the home studio, and an essential item for complete programming for the development of core strength and reduction and termination of lower back pain.

Because of a sedentary lifestyle, most people have poor posture. The muscles of the trunk are no longer able to support the body in the most efficient way possible. Because of external

support from a chair, couch, car seat, etc., the neuromuscular system has “forgotten” how to maintain posture easily and efficiently. This usually leads to breakdown, pain and dysfunction.

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Why should you care about muscles you cannot even see? The answer is, among other reasons, to flatten abs, eliminate back pain - particularly lower back pain - and achieve core fitness.
By now you are probably familiar with “core training” or you have at least heard the term used on TV or in various fitness publications. Your “core” refers not just to the abdominals, but your entire trunk musculature, including those deep muscles you can’t even see (like the Transversus Abdominis, or TVA).

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The buzz about working core muscles seems like it will never go away. First of all, most people don t even know what the word core means. As a matter of fact neither do I! The word core does not come from any scientific anatomy text I have ever read. As far as I can tell it is a term created by the fitness industry to promote all kinds of ab training products.

I m assuming core training is supposed to give you a hard flat stomach or possibly even a 6 pack. I think this myth about core training is also how much of the new athletic style workouts are becoming popular

as may exercises athletes do seem to appeal to the people who think they are doing a core exercise. So what is your core anyway?

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Golf core fitness training is essential to give you maximum power in your swing. You are probably wondering what that core fitness is and how you get it. Well one thing you can be sure of, you don t get it pumping iron or spending all your time on these machines in the gym.

What you need is what is known as fitness for golf and you get that by practicing your golf swing. Massive muscles don t make you swing better, and hours on the treadmill just let you walk round the golf course a bit faster. You only need to do that if you are driving farther, so concentrate on that more, and less

on the walking. Improve your ability to swing that golf club round in a full arc and whack the ball down that fairway straight and long.

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