Move
HOW CORE WORK IS CHANGING—AND HOW BARRE3 IS EVOLVING ALONG WITH IT
Exercise science, like all science, is constantly evolving—and at barre3, we make it our job to evolve right along with it. One of the latest evolutions has to do with core work. What’s changing? For a long time, exercise specialists recommend strengthening your core with repetitive movements involving a mobile spine (think crunches, where you move your spine to help you lift up). But recent studies now suggest that this may not be the best way to train your core.
“Research shows that repetitive movements of your spine under a load can actually increase your risk of injury,” says barre3 instructor, Shannon McClintock. “A better way to train your core is to stabilize your spine, and then create instability by moving your limbs around instead.”
What, exactly, does that mean? That instead of bending and twisting your spine during core work, you should keep it still and move your arms and legs instead. Here’s a quick breakdown of how the new findings are changing core work at barre3:
What’s new
During functional core training, your lower spine is going to stay still. “Exercises will be more about encouraging the muscles around your spine to help stabilize it, while adding chaos with your limbs,” says Shannon. “The goal is to train your core to stabilize your spine.”
When you’ll notice it
You’ll find that core-related postures are the same, but the variations on them have evolved. Here are a few examples:
Mid core
While lying over the Core Ball, we used to move our spine over the ball and crunch up; now we still lie on the ball, but we hold the spine stable and move our arms and legs to create a burn.
Upright core
We used to rotate the trunk as we pulled our arms back. Now we keep the torso pointed forward to keep the spine stable, and we move either the arms or the legs to engage and challenge the core.
Flat-Back Core
While in this posture we used to curl the spine and lift the head, neck, and shoulders. Now we keep the spine stable while creating heat and burn by extending arms and legs further out from the torso.
Why you’ll benefit
The stronger, more stable your spine gets, the more mobile it will become as a whole. You’ll also reduce your risk of injury. “It’s common to think that moving throughout exercises is harder, or more effective,” Shannon says. “But the reality is that remaining stable while being challenged with instability is way more difficult. And it will help you so much outside of the studio.” Those 60 minutes of class will help you create muscle memory so your muscles learn how to keep your core stable in the real world. “This is the definition of functional training,” Shannon says.
How to get the most out of it
Remember, slower is harder and more effective. Moving fast is not your friend. During core work, stay controlled and let go of trying to match the beat of the music. Simply follow your breath, which is a huge part of making your abs and everything else work in conjunction with each other. If you can align your movement with your breathing, you’re going to get more bang for your buck. Oh, and as always, don’t be afraid to embrace the shakes.
Want to check out the new core work for yourself? Book a studio class or sign up for a 15-day free trial to barre3 online workouts!
Exercise science, like all science, is constantly evolving—and at barre3, we make it our job to evolve right along with it. One of the latest evolutions has to do with core work. What’s changing? For a long time, exercise specialists recommend strengthening your core with repetitive movements involving a mobile spine (think crunches, where you move your spine to help you lift up). But recent studies now suggest that this may not be the best way to train your core.
“Research shows that repetitive movements of your spine under a load can actually increase your risk of injury,” says barre3 instructor, Shannon McClintock. “A better way to train your core is to stabilize your spine, and then create instability by moving your limbs around instead.”
What, exactly, does that mean? That instead of bending and twisting your spine during core work, you should keep it still and move your arms and legs instead. Here’s a quick breakdown of how the new findings are changing core work at barre3:
What’s new
During functional core training, your lower spine is going to stay still. “Exercises will be more about encouraging the muscles around your spine to help stabilize it, while adding chaos with your limbs,” says Shannon. “The goal is to train your core to stabilize your spine.”
When you’ll notice it
You’ll find that core-related postures are the same, but the variations on them have evolved. Here are a few examples:
Mid core
While lying over the Core Ball, we used to move our spine over the ball and crunch up; now we still lie on the ball, but we hold the spine stable and move our arms and legs to create a burn.
Upright core
We used to rotate the trunk as we pulled our arms back. Now we keep the torso pointed forward to keep the spine stable, and we move either the arms or the legs to engage and challenge the core.
Flat-Back Core
While in this posture we used to curl the spine and lift the head, neck, and shoulders. Now we keep the spine stable while creating heat and burn by extending arms and legs further out from the torso.
Why you’ll benefit
The stronger, more stable your spine gets, the more mobile it will become as a whole. You’ll also reduce your risk of injury. “It’s common to think that moving throughout exercises is harder, or more effective,” Shannon says. “But the reality is that remaining stable while being challenged with instability is way more difficult. And it will help you so much outside of the studio.” Those 60 minutes of class will help you create muscle memory so your muscles learn how to keep your core stable in the real world. “This is the definition of functional training,” Shannon says.
How to get the most out of it
Remember, slower is harder and more effective. Moving fast is not your friend. During core work, stay controlled and let go of trying to match the beat of the music. Simply follow your breath, which is a huge part of making your abs and everything else work in conjunction with each other. If you can align your movement with your breathing, you’re going to get more bang for your buck. Oh, and as always, don’t be afraid to embrace the shakes.
Want to check out the new core work for yourself? Book a studio class or sign up for a 15-day free trial to barre3 online workouts!
