Controversies of the core

by Analee Matthews | Friday, April 15, 2011

By freelance editor Helen Jones

Professor Paul Hodges presented on the many controversies of the core on the first day of FILEX 2011. Core stability has been discussed at length, and in some ways the debate is getting quite heated, so he looked into how we might be able to resolve some of these controversies.

“Back pain is a huge problem in modern life, so we need to help people to move better and more freely.” There is a clinical assumption that exercise should aim to increase the stability of the spine, and exercise interventions have been around for 100 years.   ...read more

Pilates and back pain, is there a link?

by Ryan Hogan | Sunday, October 18, 2009

In a recent edition of the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, an article was published with the title: Core Promises. In a nutshell it discusses how Pilates can either strengthen your core muscles in an effective, strong manner or it can cause back pain, even in conditioned participants. The difference between the two outcomes can sometimes be very small and involve the most subtle changes in how you engage the most important muscle group in your body, your core.  ...read more

The missing Fitness link: POSTURE!

by Ryan Hogan | Monday, December 01, 2008

Picture this; a beautiful girl decked out in designer clothes with perfect makeup and hair – but something is wrong. Her head pokes forward, her shoulders round over and there is a slight hump on her upper back – and this is when she is sitting down. It gets worse. She stands up in her patent heels and her backside sticks right out and the arch in her lower back looks very uncomfortable. You’ve seen this girl before at the gym and working with a personal trainer on the weights floor, but all of her efforts have not addressed a very important factor of fitness: posture.  ...read more