Can incorporating an ab roller help individuals achieve their fitness goal of building stronger core muscles?

Maximize Your Core Strength with an Ab Roller

Ab Roller

An ab roller is exercise equipment that helps build core strength and stability by engaging the core, including the abs, obliques, and lower back. It’s a small, robust wheel with handles on each side that glides along surfaces. An ab roller makes an excellent addition to any workout routine and benefits those who do not have an established workout routine. Strengthening the core muscles will help in other areas, whether achieving further exercise goals or reducing injuries. It works by holding on to the handles and rolling the entire body forward over the wheel, improving abdominal strength and endurance while activating the shoulders, arms, and upper back muscles. These movements target different areas, including the obliques, rectus abdominis, and serrated anterior muscles.

Benefits

Enhanced Core Muscle Strength

The primary benefit of using an ab roller is improved core strength, which can help build a solid foundation for various other exercises and physical activities that might be done daily. The body uses its core when moving other muscle groups. Strengthening core muscles increases sports performance, speed, and consistency.

Decrease Injury Risks

Building a strong abdominal core will help stabilize other body areas, such as hip flexors and hamstrings, ultimately reducing the likelihood of injuries. (Huxel Bliven, K. C. and Anderson B. E. 2013) This improved strength and stability is especially beneficial as a strong core can help reduce the chance of an exercise, sports, or work-related injury.

Posture Improvement

Most of us know posture is important but may not realize it (Wilkes C. et al., 2017). A healthy posture can help reduce back pain and even boost energy levels. Performing regular abdominal workouts using an ab roller helps to reinforce proper posture. Healthy posture is more than just standing up straight—it involves incorporating core abdominal activity to help strengthen the muscle endurance of the hips and trunk regions, enabling individuals to stand up straight without much effort.

Tips and Advice

It is important to introduce an ab roller gradually into a workout regimen. Here are a few tips for incorporating one.

Duration

As a beginner, start by trying to do one to two sets with six to 10 repetitions. Individuals may notice that their muscles are sore after doing this for the first time. If the soreness is too much, cut back for the next workout and ease into it more gradually. After a few weeks, the body will start getting used to the movement and may be ready to level up to two to four sets. Speed and performing the exercise as fast as possible is not the goal. Individuals should focus on slow but steady motions, core stability, and proper form. Rushing through a workout could increase the chance of an injury.

Frequency

When starting an ab roller workout, the recommendation is to do it once or twice a week, ideally combined with other workouts like walking, running, swimming, or cycling. This will allow the body to get used to the motion. Because this exercise is difficult and requires balance, some may need to adjust to the training, which is perfectly normal.

Intensity

How intense individuals go with the ab roller depends on current activity and fitness level. It takes time to adapt to this particular exercise. For a beginner, start at a mild intensity by kneeling on the ground. As the core gets used to the motion, individuals can progress to putting their legs straight and omit kneeling. This advanced motion will incorporate posture, strength, endurance, and proprioception.

Injury Medical Chiropractic and Functional Medicine Clinic

Ask a qualified fitness coach or personal trainer if you are unsure where to begin.  As with any exercise or fitness program, always talk with your healthcare provider. At Injury Medical Chiropractic and Functional Medicine Clinic, we focus on what works for you to relieve pain, restore function, and prevent injury. Regarding musculoskeletal pain, specialists like chiropractors, acupuncturists, and massage therapists can help mitigate the pain through spinal adjustments that help the body realign itself. They can also work with other associated medical professionals to integrate into a treatment plan to improve the body’s flexibility and mobility and resolve musculoskeletal issues.


Core Exercises and Back Pain


References

Huxel Bliven, K. C., & Anderson, B. E. (2013). Core stability training for injury prevention. Sports health, 5(6), 514–522. doi.org/10.1177/1941738113481200

Wilkes, C., Kydd, R., Sagar, M., & Broadbent, E. (2017). Upright posture improves affect and fatigue in people with depressive symptoms. Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry, 54, 143–149. doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2016.07.015

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The information herein on "Maximize Your Core Strength with an Ab Roller" is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional or licensed physician and is not medical advice. We encourage you to make healthcare decisions based on your research and partnership with a qualified healthcare professional.

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Dr. Alex Jimenez
Specialties: Stopping the PAIN! We Specialize in Treating Severe Sciatica, Neck-Back Pain, Whiplash, Headaches, Knee Injuries, Sports Injuries, Dizziness, Poor Sleep, Arthritis. We use advanced proven therapies focused on optimal Mobility, Posture Control, Deep Health Instruction, Integrative & Functional Medicine, Functional Fitness, Chronic Degenerative Disorder Treatment Protocols, and Structural Conditioning. We also integrate Wellness Nutrition, Wellness Detoxification Protocols and Functional Medicine for chronic musculoskeletal disorders. We use effective "Patient Focused Diet Plans", Specialized Chiropractic Techniques, Mobility-Agility Training, Cross-Fit Protocols, and the Premier "PUSH Functional Fitness System" to treat patients suffering from various injuries and health problems. Ultimately, I am here to serve my patients and community as a Chiropractor passionately restoring functional life and facilitating living through increased mobility. Purpose & Passions: I am a Doctor of Chiropractic specializing in progressive cutting-edge therapies and functional rehabilitation procedures focused on clinical physiology, total health, functional strength training, functional medicine, and complete conditioning. We focus on restoring normal body functions after neck, back, spinal and soft tissue injuries. We use Specialized Chiropractic Protocols, Wellness Programs, Functional & Integrative Nutrition, Agility & Mobility Fitness Training and Cross-Fit Rehabilitation Systems for all ages. As an extension to dynamic rehabilitation, we too offer our patients, disabled veterans, athletes, young and elder a diverse portfolio of strength equipment, high-performance exercises and advanced agility treatment options. We have teamed up with the cities' premier doctors, therapist and trainers in order to provide high-level competitive athletes the options to push themselves to their highest abilities within our facilities. We've been blessed to use our methods with thousands of El Pasoans over the last 3 decades allowing us to restore our patients' health and fitness while implementing researched non-surgical methods and functional wellness programs. Our programs are natural and use the body's ability to achieve specific measured goals, rather than introducing harmful chemicals, controversial hormone replacement, un-wanted surgeries, or addictive drugs. We want you to live a functional life that is fulfilled with more energy, a positive attitude, better sleep, and less pain. Our goal is to ultimately empower our patients to maintain the healthiest way of living. With a bit of work, we can achieve optimal health together, no matter the age, ability or disability.