Static vs. Dynamic Core Exercises

Why do athletes need to focus on strengthening their core?
 
A strong core is essential to every athlete because it allows your body to function properly. Your core stabilizes your body, allowing you to move in any direction as well as maintaining proper balance. It helps prevent falls and supports your body.

Developing core strength and stability enables athletes to maximize their power output and perform complex athletic movements that require coordination, balance, and technical skills. Additionally, focusing on core strength can help athletes stabilize weaker areas to reduce the risk of injury. Your core includes abdominal, hip, gluteal, and lower back muscles. These muscles are important for providing stability in a variety of activities.  There are two types of
core exercises that benefit this area of the body: static and dynamic. Here’s what you should
know about these terms and how to incorporate them into your training.

Static Core Exercises 
Static core exercises are also referred to as isometric exercises. During static exercises, the muscle doesn't noticeably change the length and the affected joint doesn't move. When you perform static exercises, you are tensing your muscles in one position without moving. Static
 core training contributes to building stability, stamina, and reduces the likelihood of straining or injury. An example of a static core exercise would be a plank.

​Dynamic Core Exercises
Dynamic core exercises recruit muscles from the entire body to reach your full range of movement. They work out multiple core muscles at the same time and may get your heart rate up to improve cardiovascular health. They will improve your balance, stability, and dynamic neuromuscular control. This will enable you to move more deliberately and efficiently and generate more power when playing your sports. One of my favorite dynamic core exercises is the Pallof Press.

Incorporating static and dynamic exercises into training to develop the core musculature is important in sport. Static strength of the core musculature is necessary to stabilize and hold a particular body position for the purpose of pushing or pulling with the upper extremities. Complete training of the core should include performing static and dynamic exercises through multiple planes. Well-conditioned core muscles increase proficiency in performing multi-joint movements such as squatting and lunging may decrease the risk of injury.

​