The trunk and its associated muscles make up the core.
The extremities are the arms, forearms, hands, thighs, legs, ankles/feet.
Strong core muscles provide a foundation for the extremities to attach to and work more efficiently.
It is hypothesized that a weak core can cause excessive stress on the extremity muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints.
Core strengthening is a multi-joint exercise, involving larger muscle groups such as:
- The chest,
- Abdominals,
- Back/hip,
- Thigh muscles, and
- Shoulder blade muscles.
Core strengthening is often incorporated as part of a low back or neck rehabilitation program to help support the spine.
Because recovery or enhancement of core strength provides a stable base for the extremities, it is also commonly part of an arm, forearm, thigh, leg or ankle program.
