Promoting health and wellness goes beyond my profession into my everyday life. As a healthcare professional it is important that I set a good example of healthy living, so I exercise daily. I usually exercise at home and I’m frequently guided by an instructor on my TV or computer. I could create my own workouts, but I am the type of person who, like many of my patients, needs someone to push me to do more.
I listen to many of my “celebrity trainers” say “engage your core.” “Do a lunge and engage your core.” “We’re going to side plank for one minute — oh, don’t forget to engage your core!” “You should be engaging your core throughout this whole workout!” I’m sure there are many of my fellow home or gym exercise enthusiasts thinking, “Wait, what exactly does that mean!?” Thankfully, it’s not complicated, but it can easily be done incorrectly.
Step One
Understand what “the core” actually consists of. Typically, the term is referring to the abdominal muscles including the transverse abdominus, the rectus abdominus, the internal obliques, and external obliques. It can also include (at least in the physical therapy world) the small muscles that support the spine such as the multifidus and other muscles of the lower back. The primary muscle of focus from those listed above is the transverse abdominus (TA).
I like to tell my patients that the TA is like a natural back brace. It wraps around your trunk from front to back and when it is contracted, it is it like you are tightening down a back brace to support the lower back.
Step Two
Find the TA’s. That can be much harder than it sounds. Here’s how I teach my patients:
- Lie down with your knees bent or sit with your feet flat on the floor.
- Place your fingers over the front of your hip bones and push down slightly right inside the hip bones on both sides.
- Forcefully blow air out through your mouth. The muscles that you feel pop up into your fingers with that forceful breath are the TA’s! Magic!
If you were able to follow those instructions and find them, the next trick is being able to reproduce that TA contraction without the forceful breath.
The instruction typically given for this task is to “pull your bellybutton in and up toward your spine” using only your abdominal muscles. Can you feel the TA’s again?
If yes, Yay! Continue to practice this in different positions- lying down, sitting and standing before moving on to step three.
If no, another way to find the TA’s is to lie on your back with your knees bent and your fingers over the front of your hip bones, pushing down slightly. Now try to flatten your lower back by pushing it into the floor or bed using only your abdominal muscles (not your butt muscles). Did you feel your TA’s pop up into your fingers? If yes, practice in multiple positions as mentioned above.
Step Three
Apply your newly found TA muscles to your exercise routine. When your trainer stays “engage your core,” pull your bellybutton up and in toward your spine and try to hold that contraction (but don’t hold your breath!) as you perform the exercise you’ve been instructed to do. It’s that easy! You’ve engaged your core and are tightening down that natural back brace!
If you are not able to get past step two and/or you have low back pain, it might be time to schedule a Free Physical Therapy Screening with Advance Physical Therapy!
