Stabilize Your Core with Our Signature Tower of Power™
As a Regenerative Medicine specialist, Tammy J. Penhollow, DO, has a signature solution to diminishing back pain, improving posture, and providing more strength and confidence in everyday activities. It’s all about core stabilization and creating a protective Tower of Power™. The core is a group of muscles that runs from the base of the skull to the tailbone and many of us, including the founder of Precision Regenerative Medicine, Dr. Tammy Penhollow, include the muscles of the pelvic floor and the buttocks as part of the core.
The importance of building core strength
Unlike the muscles of the arms or legs, working on core muscles (at least a little bit!) can be done every day. Core strengthening is vital for reducing strain on the lower back. Imagine how much extra pressure weak abdominal muscles and a large protuberant belly put on the discs and joints in the lumbar spine.
Strengthening abdominal muscles is one way to stabilize the spine but it’s only part of the story! It is also important to focus on strengthening the muscles of the spine. The erector spinae muscles run between the vertebrae and stabilize the forward and backward bending, side bending, and rotation of the bones and discs of the spine.
Developing and maintaining a strong core is vital for the function of the arms and legs as well. Almost every activity we do with our arms and our legs is affected by the strength (or weakness) of our core.
Types of exercise to strengthen your core
While there are many specific exercises for the abdominal muscles, and a few focused on the spine, the best exercises that can address the entire core, include:
- The basic plank
- Plank modifications — for those with injuries or who find a basic plank too simple
- Using a balance ball
Using a balance ball to improve your core
An easy way to add core stabilization to everyday living is by trading your desk chair or your couch for a balance ball that is inflated to the proper level for your height. From a seated position on the ball, your knees, ankles, and hips should form a 90° angle at the knee with your feet flat on the ground. Engaging the core will allow you to sit on the ball without wobbling. Start with 15 minutes a day and work up to an hour or more a day to work that core while you’re working or watching your favorite show!
Maximize your core workouts with Emsculpt®
The core stabilization is such a vital part of fitness that Dr. Penhollow includes the Tower of Power™ in each prescription for health and wellness. Once the entire trunk is stabilized the arms and legs are able to do what we ask them to with greater confidence and less pain and restriction in movement.
She uses combinations of the above for her pro athletes and weekend warriors alike. And for those who want to take it to the next level, she uses the 20,000 supramaximal contractions in a 30-minute Emsculpt session for the abs.
The human body simply cannot do 20,000 crunches in 30 minutes, let alone crunches in perfect form. Four 30-minute abdominal Emsculpt sessions allow her patients to achieve results like never before.
Ready to join the Tower of Power™
To find out how the Tower of Power™ can help you stabilize and strengthen your core, call Precision Regenerative Medicine in Scottsdale, Arizona, today to schedule an appointment or book a consultation online.