It can be tricky to engage the core correctly… Our bodies are good at tricking us into letting superficial muscles take over and do the work for us. So, let’s unpack how to engage your core the right way! To help clients in this process, we need to first understand the core, how to activate it, and discern the importance of breathing properly.
First, let us break down what the elusive core is:
How many muscles the core is made up of is widely debated. Some say that the core consists of several muscles connecting the pelvis from the spine and the hip. Others say that the core includes all the muscles of the abdominals and the back extensors, including the transverse abdominis, the internal and external obliques, the rectus abdominis, the multifidus, and the erector spinae. Have we lost you yet? Hopefully not, because we’re about to unpack and simplify these phrases! A good way to educate your clients is to focus on two muscle groups that make up ‘the core’: the pelvic floor and the transverse abdominis, shortened to the TA. We find that if these muscles are engaged correctly, the deep stabilising muscles of the spine (the multifidus and the erector spinae) will activate in conjunction.
The bladder, bowel, and uterus in women, as well as the bladder and bowel in men, are all supported by a pelvic floor, which is a group of muscles and ligaments. The deepest abdominal muscle is the TA. The TA's muscle fibres 'wrap' around the lower portion of the trunk like a corset as they flow horizontally from the front to the back of the body.
The main function of the TA is to stabilise the spine and pelvis prior to moving the arms and/or the legs. One of the key functions of the pelvic floor muscles is to support the organs that lie on it. By activating the core, that is, engaging the pelvic floor and the transversus abdominis simultaneously, stability will be provided to the bones and joints of the body.
Secondly, let's chat about how to engage the core:
There are many different explanations concerning how to engage the core. We use the Plus Sign method as well as other helpful visualisations. Imagine that you have a plus sign drawn on your pelvis. The vertical line begins at the pubic bone and finishes at the navel. This is your pelvic floor.
The horizontal line of the plus sign is drawn inwards from both hip bones, connecting to the vertical line. This is your TA.
Try to relax all of your muscles, particularly your glutes, thighs, and abdominals.Now, on an exhalation, imagine you are putting on a pair of high-waisted jeans. As you pull the zipper up, squeeze and lift in and up through the pelvic floor. As you do up the button you are drawing/sucking your hip bones inwards and toward each other. Inhale to relax your pelvic floor and TA, exhale to engage.
My go-to tips to encourage clients:
- You are feeling for a subtle, internal contraction: think 30% or 3/10!
- The body stays still as the core engages – there should be no movement in the pelvis or spine.
- The abs draw in on the exhalation, instead of the abs bulging into your hands.
- Use your hands to feel for this subtle engagement. Lie or sit down.
- Place your index and middle finger on your hip bones and walk your fingers in towards each other until they are around ten centimeters apart. Feel for the slight muscle contraction under your fingers on the exhale and the release on the inhale.
My favourite pelvic floor visualisations:
- Encourage your clients to visualise a vertical line.
- Squeeze the muscles around your back passage, as if you are trying to stop passing wind, keeping the bottom relaxed. Then squeeze the muscles around your front passage, as if you are trying to stop the flow of urine.
- Squeeze and lift from the tailbone at the back to the pubic bone in the front, thinking of your pelvic floor like a hammock or a sling.
My favourite TA visualisations:
- Encourage your clients to visualise a horizontal line.
- Your pelvis is an open book. The hip bones are the end of the book covers. Imagine that you are closing both ends of the book together, drawing or sucking the hip bones towards each other.
- There are two magnets on your hip bones, which are drawing towards each other.
Practice, practice, practice!
Thirdly, how we breathe affects core engagement:
To maximise the effectiveness of the core, the pelvic floor and TA ought to completely relax on an inhalation and engage on an exhalation. This is called diaphragmatic breathing. The muscles of the core need to relax, just like any other muscle of the body. When you inhale, your diaphragm contracts, dropping and moving downwards, which creates more space in the chest cavity, allowing the lungs to expand. The pelvic floor muscles lengthen and relax, and the stomach expands. When you exhale, the diaphragm relaxes, moving upwards in the chest cavity. The pelvic floor muscles engage and lift on the exhalation and the stomach draws in.
Have clients practice breathing into their lower stomach/pelvis on an inhalation, relaxing their pelvic floor and their ab muscles. Then instruct clients to think about engaging their core on an exhalation as seen in our second point above.
There you have it: a detailed guide to help your Pilates clients engage their core properly!
