By Teemu Virtanen
In long distance skiing, and in cross-country skiing in general, the core training has become extremely important for athletes who aim to succeed in demanding double-poling races. The core has been a subject in many Pro Team athlete interviews and podcast that have been published on the Visma Ski Classics site. But how to improve your core? And what is the core in simple terms?
The core is everything connecting the upper body to the lower body, from the tops of the knees to the middle of the chest, wrapping all the way around the body like a thick belt. Everything in your body is incredibly interconnected, which means there are a lot of moving parts in everything we do. Understanding the core in this way allows us to recognize the core’s impact in all of our movements, from sitting to walking to lifting to skiing.
Contrary to popular belief, the core doesn’t just include abdominal muscles. It also consists of muscles in theback and around the pelvis. The core, or trunk, includes the following:
- Erector spinae. This is a back muscle that extends up your trunk. It helps you stand up straight after bending over, as well as bend sideways and rotate your head.
- Rectus abdominis. When you bend forward, you use this abdominal muscle. It’s sometimes called the “six pack” muscle.
- Obliques. Your internal oblique and your external oblique help you rotate or bend your trunk.
- Transverse abdominis. This wraps around the front and side of your trunk, stabilizes your pelvis.
- Multifidus. Located in your back and supports your spine.
There are many exercises to tighten your core. Here are some basic moves that you can use in your weekly training program. The most common ones are bridge, various crunches, toe tap, bird dog and plank.
Bridge activates your glutes to lift your hips, which helps train your core while toning your butt and thighs. Start on your back and bend your knees and plant your feet on the floor at hip width. Then, place your hands at your sides, palms down, and tighten your core and glutes. Raise your hips until your knees are in line with your shoulders. Then, hold for a suitable time depending on physical shape and repeat several times.
Crunches are a classic core-strengthening move. The act of lifting your upper body works your abdominal muscles.There are several types of crunches you can do, but the basic one is as follows. You start on your back. Bend your knees and plant your feet on the floor at hip width, line up your head and spine. Then, cross your arms across your chest, tighten your core and relax your neck and shoulders. Tuck in your chin and lift your upper back, keeping your lower back, pelvis, and feet on the floor. Pause, and then slowly lower your upper back to return to the starting position. Do several reps depending on your shape.
Toe tap engages your core muscles while working your glutes, hips, and legs. It starts on your back. Then, lift your legs, with your knees bent to 90 degrees, place your hands at your sides, palms down. Tighten your core, lower your right foot and gently tap the floor, keeping your left leg still and your back flat. Raise your right leg to return to the starting position and repeat with your left leg. Do several reps depending on your shape.
Bird dog engages both your abdominal and back muscles, so it’s an ideal core-strengthening move. It also challenges your coordination, balance, and stability. It starts by you being on all fours, hands below your shoulders and knees below your hips. Then, tighten your core, lift and straighten your right leg to hip level. Simultaneously lift and extend your left arm to shoulder level, palm down. Hold a neutral spine without allowing your back to arch as you extend your arm and leg. Pause, and then repeat with your left leg and right arm. Do several reps depending on your shape.
Plank strengthens your arms, shoulders, back, glutes, and legs. It starts on all fours like bird dog, with your hands below your shoulders and your knees below your hips. Then, straighten your legs behind you, keeping your feet hip-width apart. Tighten your core and hold for several seconds or even minutes. Repeat many times. You can also do planks without moving, keeping your body steady and stay in the position for some time. You can also do this sideways.
These are some of the basic core exercises that you can do at home. You should do these frequently, either for a short period of time almost every day or make it an extensive workout where you repeat the exercises many times, and you can also include some other circuit training exercises for your arms and legs. An ideal length for such workout is from 30 minutes up to an hour.
