THE INABILITY TO HOLLOW YOUR STOMACH IS A SIGN OF A WEAK CORE
An easy sign of a weak core is the inability to perform the stomach hollowing test. When you conduct this exercise, the intent is for your stomach to cave inwards when your abdomen contracts. You do this by taking a natural breath, pulling your abs in toward your spine, and holding it. If you lack the ability to do this, then you possess a weak core. See the image below for a visual representation of this exercise.
Overall weakness in your core muscles will lead to serious health conditions if not properly rectified. One guaranteed exercise that will improve every condition discussed in this article is the plank exercise. The benefits of performing the plank exercise are amazing. Not only will you strengthen your core, but you will also strengthen your lower back and upper body, improve your chances of avoiding injury, significantly improve your posture, and shred your abs!
Most importantly, planks can be done anywhere. You do not need a gym membership, a personal trainer, or any equipment. Heck, do your planks naked if you want! Two things will happen when you embrace the plank – your fitness will improve and so will your overall health.
FIVE MORE SIGNS YOUR BODY IS COMPENSANTING FOR A WEAK CORE
1. YOUR POSTURE IS SUB-PAR
You know that the best way to sit at your desk isn't all crunched or crouched over. But what if you can't help it? Hunching over your desk can put strain and pressure on parts of your body that weren't meant to support that position for long, that includes your hip flexors, low back, pelvis, glutes, and shoulder girdle.
The fix: Practice sitting with your core engaged—belly button drawn back towards your spine—and shoulders pulled back, suggests Lyons. If you have a job that forces you to sit more days, you can try setting an "engaged core" timer, which'll remind you of your goal.
2. YOUR LOWER BACK ARCHES WHEN YOU WALK (AKA YOU HAVE A PELVIC TILT
Have you ever noticed someone (or maybe you do it yourself) walking pelvis-first or with a super-arched lower back? Yep, a weak core could be the culprit here, too. Because carrying and delivering a baby can weaken the pelvic and abdominal muscles, this particular symptom is common in new moms.
The fix: When you're walking, asking yourself: "Are my hips stacked beneath my shoulders?" To strengthen your core and make this stacked position possible, add pelvic tilts, leg extensions, single leg extensions, and glute bridges into your morning routine, suggests Wickham.
3. YOU HAVE FREQUENT LOWER BACK PAIN
If you've ever felt a tweak, pinch, or twinge when performing a day-to-day movement like transferring the laundry, tossing a ball to the dog, or taking something out of the oven (like these upgraded Ina Garten approved roasted carrots), weak core muscles could be to blame. When your core isn't as strong as it needs to be, your lumbar spine can get all wonky, which can put undue pressure on your vertebrae, discs, and the rest of the muscles that encase the spine.
The fix: Work specifically on strengthening your spine. Strengthening the erector spinae— which runs from your neck to your lower back— can help reduce back pain by helping to encourage proper posture and form when performing exercises.
4. YOU FEEL WEAK WHEN THROWING OR JUMPING
Ever feel weak when performing exercises like tossing a ball, throwing a punch, jumping up and down, or even doing something like a bicep curl? Difficulty doing these things could mean your core isn’t trained properly. That's because our core muscles stabilize and send power and strength to other muscles. If we aren't strong throughout the midline, we throw out the chance that we're going to be strong in arms, legs, shoulders, or ankles—called our distal parts.
The fix: Add compound exercises like the squat, deadlift, push-up, and lunge, which will tone and strengthen your extremities and core at the same time, suggests Luciani. Even unweighted, these movements teach you how to brace your core, while using and strengthening your extremities.
5. YOU USE OBJECTS AND PEOPLE AROUND YOU AS A "CRUTCH"
If you frequently rely on the furniture or friends around you to get (and keep) you standing, it's time to add some core bracing moves to your routine. It surprises people how much core strength simply getting out of bed, a chair, or standing in line takes.
The fix: Trying to sit down, get up, or stand without reaching for poles, pillars, tables, or your pals for help, will eventually help you strengthen the weak muscles, says Lyons. As with any other exercise, it's get easier the more you do it.
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