Core stability is now a key term in modern sports jargon. It may be defined as stability in the \u201ccentre, heart or nucleus\u201d of the body, but in the sports world it refers to a part of the body composed of two muscular systems: the stabilising system (local muscles) and movement system (global muscles) .<\/p>\n
Very often the \u201ccore\u201d is referred to as if it were just the abdominal muscles. In actual fact the core affects over 90% of any athlete\u2019s movements, because, being the nucleus and link between the upper and lower parts of the body, it is constantly active and, hence, \u00a0acts as a supporting column for most of the technical movements involved in all sports.<\/p>\n
For your core to function properly, you must keep to two key rules:<\/p>\n
1. Alternate isometric and dynamic exercises.<\/strong> Isometric exercises are all those that help develop muscular tension without the muscle needing to be extended or, in other words, static exercises (e.g. front plank). Dynamic exercises, on the other hand, are those that require movement to develop strength (e.g. 90\u00b0 crunch).<\/p>\n 2. Use the same movements involved in the sport you are training for.<\/strong> It is very important to train by performing the same technical movements involved in your own specific sport, in our case in the water. Such as the freestyle swim stroke. Visualise the correct movement you will be performing in the water and then reproduce it by means of the exercise suggested below (alternate plank).<\/p>\n Here are some functional exercises for swimming training. Learning how to perform them properly will give you better control over your movements, improve your posture and prevent injuries:<\/p>\n All these exercises may be performed with the aid of a Swiss ball (also known as a fitball, an unstable inflatable spherical piece of equipment with a non-slip surface of varying diameter chosen according to the height of the person using it). The important thing is to perform the exercises properly.<\/p>\n The following is a circuit of six exercises alternating static and dynamic exercises. Perform all the suggested exercises one after the other taking a 1\u2019\/1\u201930\u201d rest at the end of the sixth exercise.<\/p>\n Gradually increase the length of each exercise starting with 3 sets of 20\u201d. You can then lengthen the exercises to 45\u201d\/60\u201d:<\/p>\n\n
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