Go to any fitness or yoga class and likely the instructor will tell you to engage your core at some point (or constantly!). If you’ve experienced this and were left wondering what that means and how to do it, then you’ve come to the right place.
Go to any fitness or yoga class and likely the instructor will tell you to engage your core at some point (or constantly!). If you’ve experienced this and were left wondering what that means and how to do it, then you’ve come to the right place.
Your core is made up of several muscles around your waist and together they help you keep your balance, twist and bend, protect your organs and spine.. all kinds of things! Engaging your core means you are contracting these muscles. To understand how to do that, the key is the deepest abdominal muscle in our body: the transverse abdominis.
The transverse abdominis is like an internal corset that runs horizontally from our spine around to the front of our waist. This muscle is critical when it comes to engaging your core, and once you figure out how to activate it, the rest will follow!
Have you ever laughed so hard that your stomach starts to hurt? Laughing causes the transverse abdominis to engage, so what you are feeling is it starting to get tired- just like when you are doing a workout!
The same is true when you cough. Give this a try:
Did you notice your belly move inwards as you coughed? That is your transverse abdominis contracting.
Now it’s time to learn how to do that intentionally and maintain it. Focusing on that inward movement your belly made when you coughed can help.
This brings me to another cue you may hear which is “draw your belly button towards your spine”. A common misconception is that you should suck in to achieve this, but this is not the case. It is done by contracting (or tightening/clenching/squeezing/firming/engaging…take your pick) your transverse abdominis.
Let’s try something different:
Time to check in. When you did steps 2 and 3 did you feel your belly moving inwards like when you coughed, or outwards? If it moved inwards then your transverse abdominis was being engaged! If it felt more like it was moving outwards, with your abdomen expanding, don’t worry I have a visualization tip that may help.
Imagine your abdomen is a balloon and you need to squeeze it to get all the air out. Think of that cue I mentioned earlier: draw your belly button towards your spine.
Now, try the steps again with this in mind:
This takes practice, so don’t worry if you don’t feel it at first, just try again!
Once you’ve got it, then the next step is to maintain the engagement in your transverse abdominis. Do step three again, but this time when you breathe out all your air and you feel that your abdomen is drawn inward with your muscles contracted, HOLD THAT by continuing to contract these muscles when you breathe in. Now, take a few breaths while maintaining this throughout.
And there you have it, you’ve engaged your core!
Your core is made up of several muscles around your waist and together they help you keep your balance, twist and bend, protect your organs and spine.. all kinds of things! Engaging your core means you are contracting these muscles. To understand how to do that, the key is the deepest abdominal muscle in our body: the transverse abdominis.
The transverse abdominis is like an internal corset that runs horizontally from our spine around to the front of our waist. This muscle is critical when it comes to engaging your core, and once you figure out how to activate it, the rest will follow!
Have you ever laughed so hard that your stomach starts to hurt? Laughing causes the transverse abdominis to engage, so what you are feeling is it starting to get tired- just like when you are doing a workout!
The same is true when you cough. Give this a try:
Did you notice your belly move inwards as you coughed? That is your transverse abdominis contracting.
Now it’s time to learn how to do that intentionally and maintain it. Focusing on that inward movement your belly made when you coughed can help.
This brings me to another cue you may hear which is “draw your belly button towards your spine”. A common misconception is that you should suck in to achieve this, but this is not the case. It is done by contracting (or tightening / clenching / squeezing / firming / engaging…take your pick) your transverse abdominis.
Let’s try something different:
Time to check in. When you did steps 2 and 3 did you feel your belly moving inwards like when you coughed, or outwards? If it moved inwards then your transverse abdominis was being engaged! If it felt more like it was moving outwards, with your abdomen expanding, don’t worry I have a visualization tip that may help.
Imagine your abdomen is a balloon and you need to squeeze it to get all the air out. Think of that cue I mentioned earlier: draw your belly button towards your spine.
Now, try the steps again with this in mind:
This takes practice, so don’t worry if you don’t feel it at first, just try again!
Once you’ve got it, then the next step is to maintain the engagement in your transverse abdominis. Do step three again, but this time when you breathe out all your air and you feel that your abdomen is drawn inward with your muscles contracted, HOLD THAT by continuing to contract these muscles when you breathe in. Now, take a few breaths while maintaining this throughout.
And there you have it, you’ve engaged your core!
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Hi, I'm Amy! I’m here to help you calm your mind, release muscle tension, and feel comfortable and confident along the way.