ABSTRACT
Recess times have shortened due to increasing educational demands, and children rarely play outdoors due to parental fears, liability issues, and the hectic schedules of modern-day society. Angela Hanscom shared in an interview with the Washington Post how she did an observation of a 5th-grade classroom as a favor to a teacher. After further testing, she learned that most of the children in the classroom had poor core strength and balance. The core is actually made up of multiple muscles that move, support and stabilize the spine. There are five different components of core stability: strength, flexibility, motor control, and function. The strong back core muscles even support your abs and help assist people with actions such as sitting up at a desk, bending to tie your shoe or reaching up to take something off a shelf. Activities that offer these additional ingredients include yoga, martial arts, as well as sports and motor skills such as dribbling, and gymnastic routines.
