Health

Healthy Living - Exercise and Core Strength
Keeping the core muscles of the body healthy will assist in keeping a healthy body. []

//Strengthening your trunk gives greater stability and power to the whole kinetic chain as you move.// //Focusing on the core of the body as a way to promote strength and good health is an ancient idea. Yoga, Pilates, and martial arts such as tai chi all use this concept. Your trunk, where the kinetic chains come together, is the foundation for your posture, balance, and coordinated movement. The muscles of your trunk-your core-can be strengthened and trained to contract in the proper order to give you this stable foundation for movement. The benefits may include://
 * //The strong, healthy feeling that comes from good posture.//
 * //Confidence from strength and good balance.//
 * //Greater strength and power for your activities.//
 * //Less chance of injury.//
 * //Decrease in, or prevention of, low back pain.//

**Breathing** When you exercise, you should breathe mostly with your diaphragm, the large muscle that helps move air in and out of your lungs. To learn to breathe with your diaphragm, lie down on your back and put your hand on your stomach. When you breathe in and out, your hand should move up and down. Notice how it feels to breathe this way. When you start to exercise, try to get the same feeling of your chest and abdomen moving in and out as you breathe, rather than your chest and shoulders moving up toward your neck and back down. **Neutral spine** Neutral spine is the name for posture that maintains the [|three normal curves] in your spine-one in your neck, one in your upper back, and one in your lower back. These three curves help absorb stress and impact on your body, both while you are sitting or standing still and when you move. It may seem more relaxing to let yourself slump down. But when you lose the normal curves of a neutral spine, you actually put more stress on your body. Your spine should be in the neutral position when you do core stabilization exercises. To find neutral spine:
 * 1) Stand normally in front of a mirror with your hands on your hips, just below your waist.
 * 2) Allow your low back to arch so your stomach juts forward, and your buttocks stick out. Notice how your hands rotate forward.
 * 3) Tighten the muscles around your stomach and buttocks so your low back becomes very flat. Notice how your hands rotate backward.
 * 4) Now go halfway between the forward and back positions.
 * 5) Keeping your pelvis in this neutral position, stand tall with your ears and shoulders lined up over your hips.
 * 6) Practice finding neutral spine in three positions: standing, sitting, and lying on your back with your knees bent. When you can find neutral spine in each position, you can maintain good posture for daily activities and for exercise.