Solid to the Core: Simple Exercises to Increase Core Strength and Flexibility

Like your house, your body needs a strong foundation to support it. In your body this foundation is made up of your core, a set of muscles and muscle groups that extend from the base of your spine to the area around your pelvis, including the muscles of your abdominal wall and back. Exercises that strengthen these muscles will foster stability and support for all activities you engage in-from carrying groceries to training for competitive sports.

Solid to the Core offers a customizable, progressive program of exercises you can use to strengthen your core. As you blend these exercises into your own personal fitness program, you'll learn to overcome your personal weaknesses and muscle imbalances, reducing pain and risk of stress injuries in the process. In no time at all, you'll discover the power and efficiency that can come from having a strong and stable core.

Customize your own personal exercise program to:

• Minimize your risk of injury
• Correct muscle imbalances
• Achieve better posture
• Relieve chronic muscle and joint pain
• Feel strong, energetic, powerful, and healthy

Janique Farand-Taylor, PT, ACE, is a certified registered sports physiotherapist and certified personal trainer. She also practices craniosacral therapy and acupuncture. She owns a private practice in Toronto specializing in sports and orthopedic physical therapy. She is the official physiotherapist and personal trainer for the Ontario Freestyle Ski Team. She was a member of the Canadian Women's National Alpine Ski Team at the World Cup level from 1981 to 1985, and was selected for the Canadian Olympic Team at the 1984 Winter Olympiad in Sarajevo. She actively lectures; is a rehabilitative consultant to high school, college, and amateur sports teams; and is a freelance writer for Hockey Report Magazine.

Foreword writer Ian Finkelstein, MD, is a physician in private practive in Toronto, ON, Canada.