Forget crunches: The smarter way to strengthen your core

By Dana Santas, CNN

(CNN) — If you’re like most people, when you hear the word core, you probably think of six-pack abs. But your core is so much more than that — it’s the powerhouse that stabilizes, supports and moves you through life.

Despite its central role in your body’s physical function, the core is often misunderstood and poorly targeted in workouts. Many people focus on achieving a sculpted appearance while neglecting other critical aspects such as mobility and stability. A truly healthy core is about function — not just form — supporting your body in accomplishing both daily tasks and athletic feats.

Whether you want better balance, more powerful movements, or fewer backaches and injuries in the new year or any time of year, your core holds the key. Read on to learn why core health matters and how to train your core effectively.

What is your core?

Your core is an interconnected group of muscles that includes all your abs — not just your rectus abdominis, the long vertical muscle that can appear as a visible six-pack in people with low body fat. And because your core wraps around the entire midsection of your body, it also includes your side waist, pelvic floor and lower back muscles as well as your diaphragm, your primary respiratory muscle that runs from your rib cage to your lumbar spine. Together, these muscles form a fundamental support system, enabling nearly every move you make and every breath you take.

The core’s role in movement

As a mobility coach in professional sports, I’ve seen firsthand how core integration is essential for nearly every physical action. Your core isn’t just along for the ride — it’s the driver, ensuring strength, stability and efficiency in movement.

Whether you’re walking, lifting or playing a sport, your core plays a pivotal role in your body’s key functions. Here’s how:

Stabilization and balance: Your core stabilizes your spine and pelvis and influences rib cage position, creating a foundation for posture and movement. This stability is crucial not only for athletic performance but also for ensuring the ability to maintain neutral posture and balance to prevent injuries. For example, standing on one leg or walking on an uneven surface both rely on your core to keep you upright and stable.

Movement in all directions: While stability is crucial, your core also needs to be mobile. Imagine twisting to grab something from your car’s back seat or reaching into your grocery cart to place items on the checkout conveyor belt — both movements require core mobility. A stiff or inflexible core can limit your range of motion and increase your risk of injury. I see this limitation lead to injury all too often in rotational athletes when they focus too much on anterior core strengthening and not enough on mobilization.

Power transmission: Whether you’re throwing a football, swinging a golf club or sprinting, your core allows for the efficient expression of power through your limbs. Without a stable core, this power transfer is less effective, putting more stress on your joints, which can lead to compensation and overuse injuries, especially for athletes. In my experience, this is a common cause for tennis elbow.

The plank: A foundational core exercise

Crunches have a long-standing history as the gold standard of ab exercises. But, unlike crunches, which isolate your rectus abdominis, planks activate your entire core, from your deep stabilizing muscles to your obliques and lower back.

How to do a basic plank

1. Start on your hands and knees with your wrists aligned under your shoulders.
Gaze slightly ahead of your hands to keep your neck in a neutral position.

2. Step your feet back one at a time, straightening your legs to create a diagonal line from your head to your hips and down to your heels.

3. Engage your core by exhaling and moving your ribs back and down toward your waist. Avoid letting your hips sag or back arch.

4. Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds to start, maintaining a deep, even breathing pattern. Rest for 10 to 15 seconds in between reps and repeat two to three times. Gradually increase the duration of holds as your strength improves.

If a traditional straight-arm plank is too taxing on your wrists or shoulders, modify with a forearm plank by putting your forearms down with your elbows aligned under your shoulders. Likewise, if having your legs straight is too difficult, drop down to your knees.

Plank variations add well-rounded benefits

Almost every exercise imaginable requires core activation to be safe and effective, but the plank stands out as a foundational core exercise because it not only enables full core muscle activation but also provides a base for variation to increase emphasis on specific areas and benefits. Adding dynamic movements — such as shoulder taps or mountain climbers — emphasizes integrated strength and mobility, while variations, such as a side plank, target your obliques and challenge your balance.

One of my favorite side plank dynamic progressions is adding a reach-and-rotate movement, which covers the bases of stability, mobility and strength. To perform this, from a side plank, reach your top arm under your body as if threading a needle, then rotate it back upward toward the ceiling.

No matter what variants of plank you choose or other core-focused exercises, always round out your core training with mobility exercises that rotate and stretch your core in all directions. You can easily accomplish this with some basic yoga twists and bends.

Core health for everyday life

A well-functioning core is not just for athletes. It’s essential for everyone.

But building a healthy core does not mean spending hours in the gym. You can build a stronger, more resilient core with a few minutes of targeted exercises a few times a week.

By practicing a mix of static holds, dynamic exercises and rotational movements, such as those mentioned above, over time, you will notice improvements not just in your core strength, but in how you move, perform and feel in everyday life.

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