Getting to know your core

Before you think that I’m all about six pack abs and a “snatched waist” (barf), let’s break down what I mean by core, because it’s more than your six pack. At its most basic, your core, everything that isn’t your limbs or neck. It starts at your ribcage and extends to your glutes. It includes all your abdominal, back, pelvic and glute muscles.

When it comes to strengthening the core, I always start with our deepest core muscles. They’re a group of 4 muscles that work together to provide support and manage your intra-abdominal pressure (IAP).

Let’s dive into each of those muscle groups.

Deep core

Diaphragm - An umbrella-shaped muscle that sits up under your ribs. It contracts down to draw air into your lungs. It should be your primary breathing muscle, but many of us offload the breathing process to secondary breathing muscles, chest, shoulders and neck. 

Transverse Abdominus (TA) - These are your deepest core muscles. Think of it like a corset that holds all your organs. It wraps around your torso, attaching to ribs and pelvis. 

Pelvic Floor - A diamond-shaped sling of muscles. It’s actually 4 layers of multifunctional muscles.

• Supports internal organs

• Stability for your pelvis and trunk

• Sexual

• Sphincteric, controlling anus, vagina and urethra

• Sump pump for the circulatory system

Multifidus - Your deepest stabilizing muscles that run up the side of your spine. 

Okay enough with the biology lesson. But it’s important to know that these 4 muscles must work together to manage intra-abdominal pressure (IAP). When they don’t work well together, either due to pregnancy or incorrect breathing patterns, you may experience symptoms of core dysfunction such as low back pain, hip pain, heaviness in your pelvic floor or coning or doming along the abdominal wall.

Getting these four muscles to work together is the first step to rebuilding or strengthening the core. 

In the next post, I’ll dive into the simplest (but not necessarily easy) way to assess how these muscles work together and start getting them to work as a team…..Breathing!