Lets start with what the muscles are exactly that coaches are talking about when they say “squeeze your core?” The core is composed of the upper, lower and side abdominals called the obliques, along with the deep layers of muscles that surround and support your spine. It is actually hidden beneath the exterior musculature that people typically train in the gym. The purpose of the core is to stabilize the spine and distribute the load of the body between the muscles and the bones equally while acting as a force transfer center. The way in which you sit, stand and even squat are directly effected by the strength of your core.
Now why do we need to have a strong core?
A strong core is going to not only allow you to be a top athlete but it is also going to have a large impact on how healthy your body is as you age. It is much easier as a young adult to build your core and simply maintain it through your lifetime than it is to develop a strong core later in life. Once you have developed a stronger core you will realize how much other activities become easier and more enjoyable to do. Such as snowboarding, skiing, and cheerleading. One’s ability to stunt and tumble in cheerleading is going to be directly affected by the amount of strength they have in their core.
To obtain a stronger core you must incorporate a variety of exercises and learn to incorporate several muscle groups in each one. Squats, clean and press, snatches, abdominal exercises, bent over rows etc. are all going to strengthen you core. The key is going to be to exercise the muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen so that they begin to function in unison. This will lead to better balance and stability in everything you do weather its sports or daily activities.