Pacific Paddler magazine - October 2011 - (Page 31)

Core Strengthening for Paddlers As many of us know, the ocean is never flat. Actually, it’s quite the opposite. The ocean can be a powerful force that may throw off our balance and equilibrium, thus making us more susceptible to injury. In order to prevent injury while out on the water, core strength is very important. Building a strong core can help keep you balanced and injury-free when muscle fatigue sets in during those long endurance workouts. So what exactly is your “core”? A common misconception is that the “core” consists solely of the abdominal muscles. However, the core consists of all muscles acting to stabilize the spine, pelvis, and shoulders. Two muscles of particular importance are the transverse abdominus and multifidi muscles. The transverse abdominus acts as a corset that wraps around and By Jaco Van Delden supports your trunk, while your multifidi muscles support each segment of your spine all the way from the low back to the neck. Strength in these muscles will provide your body with a solid foundation from which all other powerful motions from your arms and legs occur. How do you know if you are strong enough? Here is one simple way you can test yourself: Lying on your back with your hips flexed to 90 degrees, straighten your knees and lower your legs slowly while keeping a neutral pelvis. To reach a top strength grade, you must be able to reach 0-15 degrees from the table before your pelvis tilts. If you aced this test, keep up the good work! If you had some trouble, we’ve got some work to do. Here are three exercises to help build a stronger core: pacificpaddler.com - October 2011 31 http://www.jacorehab.com http://www.pacificpaddler.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Paddler magazine - October 2011

Pacific Paddler cover
Contents
HCRA States
40th Annual Queen Liliuokalani
Hui Waa score board
OHCRA score board
Peter Caldwell's Pics
Duke Kahanamoku
Dad Center
To ride Kalehuawehe
Honolulu Elks Keiki OceanFest
2012 IVF World Outrigger Sprint
Kailua Bay Ironman Challenge
Vancouver’s Oceanman
OceanFest
SCORA's endless summer
Super Aito
Watch out for Props
Voyages of Malolo
Core Strengthening for Paddlers

Pacific Paddler magazine - October 2011