Core stability and spinal exercises lecture

Question 1

Name 4 types of exercise that you can do for the spine

Answer 1

Mobility exercise
Muscle stretching
Cardiovascular exercise
Core stability exercises - motor control/strength

Question 2

Name the 4 different muscle groups which make up the core

Answer 2

Lumbar spine, abdominals, hip and transversospinalis

Question 3

What is special about the transversospinalis group which aids to being very good at stability

Answer 3

The group have a lot of type 1 muscle fibres which are better for endurance, so are very good at stabilising the spine

Question 4

What is the local muscle approach to core stability training? And what is the critique of this approach

Answer 4

It is the more traditional approach and involves isolating and retraining specific local stabilisers. More global exercises e.g. the plank, are added in once the individual is able to isolate these muscle groups.
However, this can be seen as a bad idea because promoting isolated muscle contractions isn’t as appropriate as task specific activation. An isolated contraction actually reduces stability

Question 5

What is the global muscle approach to core stability training?

Answer 5

Retraining trunk muscles to all contract together and increase strength. McGill conducted a study using gymnasts where he found an improved muscular trunk endurance and no new onset of low back pain through doing the ‘McGill Big 3’ - modified crunch, side plank and superman