The Functional Core Exercise You Should Be Doing (Unless You're A Farmer)

You’ve probably heard of the term ‘core’ being thrown around in lots of ways in fitness and rehab, but why is it so important?

You might think of the core as a six pack but those are only a small fraction of the core muscles! Your core stabilizes your spine, controls your posture, and helps you move throughout the day. Functionally training your core can create a solid base for your body so you can stay upright and strong on two feet!

So what is Dr. Rob’s favourite functional core exercise? Watch to find out!

How to Do a Farmer Carry

• Pick a weight that’s fairly heavy, it should be challenging to hold onto. If you don’t have a weight at home, load up a grocery bag or a backpack with cans or heavy items from your home to substitute.

• The key of this exercise is to stand nice and tall while you’re holding the weight, don’t lean toward or away from the weight. IF you’re struggling to avoid leaning, switch your weight for something a little lighter.

• This is a core exercise so you should feel your core tighten as you walk around. We love using a figure 8 pattern for walking to create a challenge in all directions!

• To up the ante, you can try marching while performing a farmer carry to increase the difficulty. Focus on keeping your hips level while you march to maximize the effectiveness.

This exercise is perfect for fixing one of the core deficiencies we often see ignored in the gym and in rehab. If you try out some farmer carries and find them difficult, you may have a core deficiency!

Lucky for you we have an amazing team of physiotherapists that can help you pinpoint and solve your musculoskeletal problems! Click HERE to learn more about what our team is capable of.