I see patients every day in my chiropractic practice complaining of low back pain caused by a number of different issues with the joints and muscles of the lumbopelvic area. A really common cause for low back pain stems from a lack of core strength.

I’m a big believer that good abdominal strength is important for everyone and here’s why. The deep layer of your core or transverse abdominals (TA) is a very strong muscle and directly supports your lumbar spine. If the TA isn’t strong or firing correctly your whole lower body then becomes very unstable and susceptible to injury. People with a weak TA will often experience back pain with everyday activities such as picking up their kids, playing sport or walking and running. If this goes on long enough chronic low back pain can often occur.

There are several reasons why so many people seem to have poor core strength these days. Our lives have become more and more sedentary with people spending large amounts of time sitting. Long periods of sitting allow the transverse abdominals to become weak and lazy. Unfortunately there is also a large amount of incorrect information regarding core conditioning within the media and exercise community with a lot of exercise programs focusing on strengthening the superficial abdominal muscles rather than the deep ones. While this may help you look great on the beach it doesn’t necessarily help create the strong deep core muscles that everyone needs.

It’s not all doom and gloom though!!! There are plenty of things that you can do to get your core strength back and prevent any injuries with your lower back.

Pilates is a great way to improve core strength and activation which can prevent injuries in the lower back and pelvis.

Pilates – Pilates is a fantastic way to strengthen your core in a supportive environment.

Swiss Balls – Replace your office chair at work with an appropriately sized swiss ball and this will automatically help keep your core working through the day.

Plank holds – Try to add this simple core exercise into your routine a couple of times a week. Plank holds are fantastic, start with 10- 30 seconds and try increasing how long you can hold it for each day.