6 non-aesthetic benefits of a strong core, according to a personal trainer

Woman doing core crunches

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Strong Women


6 non-aesthetic benefits of a strong core, according to a personal trainer

By Lauren Geall

2 years ago

8 min read

From better posture to improved athletic performance, these are all the benefits of a strong core that have nothing to do with getting a ‘six pack’. 


When was the last time you worked on your core strength? While the idea of saying goodbye to planks and crunches is all too tempting, core strength is about so much more than building a ‘six pack’ – and paying attention to your core muscles could offer a whole host of benefits for your wider health and wellbeing.

“Your core is quite literally your powerhouse,” explains Holly Fivian, a personal trainer and co-founder of the luxury wellness club and retreat Kokoro

“When most people think of their core, they immediately think of the rectus abdominis or ‘six pack’ muscles. But the core is so much more than this – in fact, it refers to all the muscles in the midsection of your body.”

While strengthening your core muscles might make sit-ups feel a little easier, that’s far from the only benefit building a strong core can offer. By providing the whole body with stability, your core muscles play a role in everything from your posture to your power – so developing those muscles can have a big impact.  


What are the core muscles? 

A woman doing sit-ups

Credit: Getty

Your core is made up of four sets of muscle, one of which is the rectus abdominis muscle, or ‘six pack’. Other muscles of the core include the:

“The abdomen is made up of four sections of muscle: the transverse abdominis (TVA), the internal and external obliques and the rectus abdominis,” Fivian explains. “The TVA is the deepest section. It quite literally wraps around the waist like a corset, acting as a stabiliser for the lower back and the core muscles.” 

Sitting on top of the TVA are the internal and external obliques, which sit in a criss-cross formation across the torso and help us to twist. And then there’s the rectus abdominis. “The rectus abdominis is the anterior section of abdominal muscles which helps the upper body to bend forward,” Fivian adds.

While core workouts have typically been associated with aesthetic benefits in the past, there is so much more to gain from strengthening those central muscles, Fivian adds.

“A strong core is one that can turn itself on, or ‘engage’, when needed,” she says. “For example, when you lift, push, pull or perform any movement (in a workout or in everyday life), intra-abdominal pressure increases and your transversus abdominis muscle should kick in to engage and provide effective core stability and function.” 

What are the benefits of having a strong core? 

A woman doing a plank

Credit: Getty

1. It helps to reduce injury

Your core is involved in a whole host of everyday movements, and strengthening it is a great way to avoid any unexpected injuries.

“When the core muscles work together, they support the spine which keeps the back safe from strain,” Fivian says. “For example, engaging your core correctly whilst lifting will stop your back from arching thus preventing it from becoming strained and potentially injured.”

2. It promotes healthy pelvic floor function  

Alongside dedicated pelvic floor exercises, strengthening your entire core can have a benefit on your pelvic floor function.

“The core includes the pelvic floor musculature, and maintaining core stability can help treat and prevent certain types of incontinence,” Fivian explains.

3. It aids post-natal recovery

If you’re planning on getting pregnant any time soon, working on your core strength could make the whole process a little more comfortable, Fivian says.

“A strong core is proven to increase your chances of a more comfortable pregnancy and birth, as well as more efficient post-natal recovery,” she explains. 

“After all, it’s those wonderful core muscles which not only help support your pelvic organs as the baby grows, but they are the crucial muscles used to help push the baby out when the time comes.

“For the physical demands of labour, a strong core is absolutely crucial. Correct activation of those deep ‘corset’ muscles post pregnancy is also a complete game changer.”

4. It increases athletic performance

Increasing your core strength can have a knock-on effect all over your body.

“A strong core means an increased athletic performance as it allows your torso to transfer power from the lower to the upper body and back again during exercise,” Fivian says.

“Weak core muscles can result in fatigue and less endurance. So, whatever your goal, get your core strong and keep it that way!” 

As well as improving your performance overall, building your core strength can help you to perform better in specific sports or areas of fitness, including running, yoga, pilates and weight lifting.

A woman running

Credit: Getty

The benefits of core strength for running

While your lower-body strength might feel like the most obvious place to focus when it comes to running, building your core strength can help you to perform and recover more easily.

“When it comes to running, a strong core is one of the main foundations,” Imo Boddy, a personal trainer and founder of the online coaching service Lift and Run, previously told Strong Women.

“A strong core keeps you dynamic but stable and upright in the torso, which helps with power, efficiency, form and injury prevention.”

The benefits of core strength for pilates and yoga

Pilates and yoga may be great for building core strength, but having core strength can improve your practice too.

Because pilates in particular is so focused on core functionality, working your core in other ways will make the exercises easier; for example, these three core-strengthening exercises are designed to help you hold the plank position for longer.

The benefits of core strength for weightlifting

As the centre of your body’s muscular system, your core can have a knock-on effect on your overall strength, making it important for weightlifting.

“To get the best you can out of your weightlifting experience, it’s really important to strengthen your core muscles,” Lucy Arnold, a former personal trainer and founder of Lucy Locket Loves, previously told Strong Women. “Strengthening those muscles helps you to manage sudden and heavy forces on this area of your body.”

5. It supports good posture

It’s not exactly rocket science, but having a strong core will make it easier for you to maintain good posture and avoid any niggles and pains.

“Having a weak core can cause postural deviation which can lead to general aches and pains as well as an extensive list of further negative effects and injuries,” Fivian says.

“It is amazing a client’s whole posture improves after the simplest of core activation, technique refining and correct core engagement.”

6. It makes your workouts more effective

Last, but by no means least, being able to activate your core muscles effectively can help you to make the most of your workouts.

“Having a strong core and knowing how to engage it means the difference between getting the best out of every movement or not,” Fivian explains. “When your PT is shouting for you to ‘engage your core’, it’s because they want you to get the most out of the exercise.” 

She continues: “Although engaging your core during an abdominal workout is essential – to ensure that you’re working the muscles you’re supposed to – I also like to remind my clients that every exercise is a core exercise.

“Even when doing a seemingly unrelated exercise, for example, bicep curls, by exhaling and engaging on the effort phase the deep core muscles will be worked nicely too, giving us much more bang for our buck. In this sense, engaging your core makes your workout much more effective which ultimately leads to quicker and better results.” 

The best exercises for developing a strong core 

Ready to give your core the workout it deserves? Pilates, with its focus on core strength and functionality, is a great place to get started, as are these three exercises, as recommended by Fivian. 

1. Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers are a great exercise for your overall fitness,” Fivian explains. “They’re one of the best ways to raise your heart rate while exercising multiple muscle groups at the same time.

“Mountain climbers really target all of your core muscles, making them the perfect addition to your workout.” 

2. Plank shoulder taps

“This is a favourite of mine,” Fivian shares. “There are numerous benefits to adding the plank into your workout, but again only if you are engaging the core correctly.

“Adding the shoulder taps adds a lovely anti-rotational element to it as well, as you are working hard to stop the hips from rocking side to side as you tap. If you are having trouble staying engaged and keeping the hips pointing towards, get to your knees and try again.” 

3. Dead bugs

“In my opinion, dead bugs are the best and most under-utilised exercise out there and is my absolute go-to for anyone needing help strengthening the deep core muscles,” Fivian explains.

“An all-encompassing core stabilisation exercise, dead bugs are a fab exercise for anyone suffering from lower back pain, as when done correctly it utilises all the muscles in the entire core!”

Fivian continues: “There are so many varieties of the dead bug, so start with the simpler ones and progress as you get stronger. The key is to get the entire core stable and glued to the floor by ‘wrapping’ the deep core muscles while you do the exercise. There should be no gap underneath your spine.” 

How long does it take to build core strength?

While building core strength won’t happen overnight, a few weeks of regular strength training is usually all it takes to feel a difference.

Indeed, as Cory Wharton-Malcolm, CEO of TrackMafia and head coach of Nike Running, previously told Strong Women: “In the first few weeks of strength training people tend to feel stronger as even though muscles may not have grown, the brain responds to the new hobby by recruiting more pre-existing muscle fibers to help lift more weight. The muscles were always there, you just never asked them to do this much work.”

As for how long each of your sessions need to be, you don’t need to spend hours crunching to see a difference. In fact, there are plenty of workouts that take under 10 minutes which will help you to build core strength. Check out our list below to get started:


Images: Getty

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