Everyone knows or has heard of the importance of having a strong and stable core for strength and sports performance, but have you ever wondered WHY?

The best analogy I have ever heard is “an unstable core is like trying to shoot a cannon from a canoe.” Credit to my EXOS Performance Specialist training for that analogy.

Here’s the thing: the most important trait in the majority of sports usually comes down to some aspect of speed or power (ex: to kick a ball, swing a racket, or paddle a boat). Your core is the epicentre of your movement chain, and if you don’t have a stable platform, you will literally be shooting a cannon from a canoe. What I mean by this is without a stable core, you will dissipate power potential and performance will simply decrease.

I’d also argue that core stability is of paramount importance for the general population as well. It’s what helps you manage your body as you go up and down stairs, sit back into a chair, or reach for dishes overhead.

Now, I’d like to contrast core stability training from traditional “abs” training. Core stability means teaching your pelvis, hips, abdomen, and thoracic to remain relatively equal and symmetrical while your extremities are in motion.

It may look a bit like this:

or this:

or this:

or even this:

While crunches and situps absolutely have some merit for getting you a ripped abdomen, we should never forget what the true function of the core is. Plus, if you do it smart, you can have both.