Core strength is the development of the torso muscles that stabilize, align, and move the trunk of the body. They help to stabilize and align the trunk and help the body to maintain proper posture. Poor core strength can cause poor posture which can also affect gross motor and fine motor skills. Building strong core strength is like building a strong foundation for your child. When a child has decreased core strength lots of tasks can be difficult.

The child may struggle with:

• Sitting with tall upright posture on the floor and in a chair
• Balance – Standing on an uneven surface
• Fine motor skills – May use their hands close to their body instead of reaching out/ to the side of their body
• Gross motor activities- Endure and perform for running, jumping etc.

Importance of Core Strength:

1. Prevention of injury
2. Reduction of back pain
3. Improved lifting mechanics
4. Balance , Stability , Posture
5. Improved athletic performance

Signs your child might have a weak core :

1. Poor posture
2. Leaning on walls when standing
3. Slouched when sitting in a chair
4. Difficulty getting up from ground
5. Poor Balance

How can weak core can impact a child ?

Table top activities such as worksheets, writing, drawing and other fine motor activities may be tiring for the child as their body is using extra muscles to keep their body upright for their task

Participating in sports activities may also be difficult for a child with a poor core stability as their core needs to work harder to keep them from losing balance. Weak core muscles can interfere with the gross motor skills of a child like standing walking, running, jumping, and it can interfere with their activities of daily living (Climbing on stairs, reaching for things, carrying or shifting things from one place to another etc…)

Exercises for infants with weak core muscles:

1. Rolling
2. Prone on elbow, Prone on hand
3. Prone on extension with using interesting toys
4. Swinging the child on the gym ball back and forth directions
5. Full kneeling
6. Supported sitting with using toys.

Fun core activities for kids :

• Crab Walk : Sit on the floor, lift your butt up and move around by using your hands and feet only. Forward, backward, and sideway can be moved
• Bear Walk : While standing, bend over and reach the floor with your hands. Move around in this position.
• Snake : Lay on the floor and wiggle your body back and forth to move
• Donkey Kick : Stand up and bend over until your hands touch the floor. Try to kick both legs out behind you. If both legs are too hard, then start with one at a time alternating legs.
• Frog hop : Squat down with your arms between your legs and hands touching the floor. Jump as far as you can.
• Swinging on a Swing : Swinging on a swing is a great activity for core strengthening. In order to get the swing movement, the kid will shift their trunk forward and backward. This movement strengthens the stomach, back, and arm muscles.
•  Wheelbarrow Walking: Wheelbarrow walking is a very powerful activity that works on strengthening a lot of different areas. If the kid cannot move their arms when you are holding their feet, then move up their legs until they can.
• Ball Walkouts : Place a ball on the floor. Lay on top of the ball so that it is under your hips. Hold your body up by pushing it up off the floor. “Walk” your hands out so that your body moves over the ball.
• Bridging exercise : Lie on your back with your knees bent. Tighten the muscles in your stomach. Raise your hips off the floor until they line up with your knees and shoulders.
• Help load wet clothes into the dryer
• Ball catch and throw
• Pile pillows and cushion on the floor and crawl over them

Core strength development starts as an infant. Ever wonder why “tummy time” is so important? When an infant has an opportunity to lie on his tummy, he learns to lift his head which helps to strengthen the neck and upper back muscles. This will help the infant to begin supporting the weight of his own head and to be able to look around in response to sounds. It will also prepare the infant for such developmental milestones such as crawling, rolling over, and sitting up independently.

Core Exercises for Babies and Toddlers

For infants and very young children, doing the following activities can help build a strong core, Allison advises in the August Little Steps newsletter.

• Reaching for objects while laying on their belly or sitting up by themselves

• Pulling themselves up to stand from sitting on the floor

• Playing with toys while kneeling

• Crawling on an uneven surface

• Rolling from their back to their belly (in both directions)

Core Exercises for School-Age Children

Older children who could benefit from stronger core muscles can see improvement through the following exercises,.

• Riding a bike

• Swimming

• Jumping on a trampoline

• Climbing on playground equipment

• Walking like a bear or crab