6 Key Concepts for Your Core Training Workouts

Discover the importance of utilizing all the muscles of your core to improve the effectiveness of your core training workouts and help reduce back pain by targeting these 6 key concepts (and muscle groups) during your workouts.

Maximize the benefits of your core training workouts to support good functional movement habits and improve strength and stability for optimal whole-body health.

1. Strengthen the Diaphragm 

with Better Breathing to Improve Both Standing and Seated Posture

Learn to strengthen and improve the action of the Diaphragm. Great breathing habits help improve our posture and provide compression and decompression for the spine. This helps lift the ribs up off the hips to create space so the Core muscles have more room to move. Good Pilates posterior-lateral breathing techniques can help assist in re-training the lungs and diaphragm to better support the Core.

2. Find and Engage the "Floor" of the Core (Pelvic Floor Support)

Using proper Pelvic Floor support is a CRITICAL component to effective Core Training! Doing a Kegel will NOT help you use the right muscle for pelvic and spine stability for Core training during exercise & movement. The Pelvic Floor is our foundation for torso support. Using the pelvic floor muscles is what allows the breath to lift and lengthen the spine. You can visualize the Pelvic Floor as having 4 walls. 2 side walls & a front & back. Different muscles are involved to contract and support the front-to-back of the Pelvic Floor vs. the Sides of the Pelvic Floor. These muscles should be able to engage all together, and independently to assist and support the body when we move.

3. Strengthen the Internal & External Obliqueswith Twisting Exercisesto Improve Movement & Stabilization of the Spine

It's the strength of our Internal and External Oblique muscles that defines the distance between our ribcage and our hip bones to provide Core stability and support. When the Internal and External Obliques contract in the front of the body, the spine rotates. (AND there are back muscles that also have to fire and assist with this rotary movement.)

The strength and support of our Oblique Muscles assist our Core training efforts in two different ways.

• If doing an exercise like Criss-Cross in a Pilates Mat Class, the Obliques and Back muscles work together to rotate the spine and twist the torso.
• If doing an exercise like the One Leg Circle, the Obliques and opposing Back muscles now become stabilizers of the spine and pelvis to allow free movement of the leg.

4. Engage theTransverse Abdominals for Support in the Front of the Pelvis, Sacrum, and Lumbar Spine

The Transverse Abdominals help hold the organs inside our body cavity, and provide support in the front of the spine and pelvis. The lift of these muscles helps to lift the pelvis up off our legs to allow free movement of the leg from the hip. As well as a free hinge of the body forward and backwards around the legs. (A lot of people attempt to find this lift by "gripping" with their Quads & Hip Flexors - instead of using much (if any) Transverse support.)

Here's a helpful hint to help you find and use the Transverse Abdominals: If you lift your lower Abs up and in, and the pelvis tucks - you've used the Rectus muscle to contract and shorten, rather than your Transverse to support. Keep your hips and pelvis still and think about lifting up with your lower abdominals from approximately 2 inches below your belly button. Pull up, in, and back with these muscles towards the bottom back ribs. (without changing the position of the pelvis - tucking or arching) It's almost like your low abs are smiling. When you find this muscle contraction, you are using your Transverse Abdominal muscles to do the work.

This "low Ab smile" can be practiced with standing and seated posture, and is a part of the support needed for a good Pilates C-Curve - but it's not the initiator to scoop the pelvis into a posterior-tilted position.

5. Back Strengthening - Using the Muscles for Spine Extensionand Movement(Erector Spinae muscles)

While the Transverse and Oblique Abdominals help keep us lifted up through the front of the body, in the back we need to be using the Spine Extensors and Multifidus for support. Our Spine Extensors are the muscles that MOVE the back into extension.

To maintain tall, lifted posture Erector Spinae muscles need to be working to help keep gravity from winning when we sit and stand. Typically, the neck extensors and low back are strong, and the Erector Spinae muscles through the middle and upper back are weak. Learning to balance the work of the Spine Extensors through the ENTIRE spine can help ensure balanced muscle development, improved Core support, and helps to facilitate efficient functional movement.

*Note: Military Posture - "pinching the blades together to pull your shoulders back and stick your chest out" is not helping to strengthen the weaker middle/upper back spine extensors, but instead is overworking the Rhomboids, and reinforcing poor shoulder mechanics which long-term can result in serious shoulder injuries. When you pinch the shoulder blades together, the shoulders are doing all the moving and the spine will be held in a stabile position (but not supported from the right spot!

6. ImprovingBack Stabilityand Support- Multifidus Muscles

Along the back, our Spine Extensors are the mobility muscles and the Multifidus are stability muscles. The Multifidus muscles span the full length of the spine in a chevron pattern to link multiple segments of the spine together for back stability. When you do an exercise like Plank, or a Push-Up, to help keep the back from sagging it involves a tremendous amount of core support. Part of the support to stay lifted comes from the Abs, the Spine Extensors work to maintain length, and it's the Multifidus muscles working for stability that help keep the back from sagging.

• Exercises that involve MOVEMENT of the spine will not involve the Multifidus.
• All positions that involve STABILITY of the spine and the Multifidus muscles are an important part of helping to maintain great Core support.

Whether the back is held in a neutral position like a Plank, a held still in a C-Curve position for Pilates Matwork exercises like Rolling Like a Ball, or held in extension for the Advanced Mat exercise the Swan Dive, if the goal is to hold the spine in a stabilized position, the Multifidus muscles have to be activated to hold the position.

Evaluate the exercises in your core training workouts. Are you doing exercises that target, (or have you thinking, finding, and feeling) each of these important concepts and muscle groups to strengthen your core?

By incorporating exercises that train and target all six of these very important Core training concepts into your workouts, you can be sure that you are truly making a difference to strengthen and improve Core stability for balanced muscle development, efficient functional movement, and improved health.

A great core training program will incorporate exercises that move your spine in all directions - forwards, backwards, sideways, and twisting. For some exercises you'll move into and out of these ranges of motion. For other exercises you'll hold the body in a still and stable position. Your ability to maintain great support and freely move your body (and back) is a contributing factor to a healthy life without back pain. Always check with your doctor if you're experiencing back pain problems before starting to exercise to determine what is safe and appropriate for you!

An excellent Pilates Core Training tool is The Pilates Spine Corrector / Arc Barrel. Start incorporating these fun and effective Pilates Arc Barrel Core Training Exercises into your workout program now to enhance your health and fitness. To learn more visit: http://www.Centerworks.com

Improve Breathing, Pelvic Floor, Abs, Obliques, Spine Extensors, Multifidus and more to improve core strength, keep your spine fit, flexible, and healthy, and enjoy a healthy, active life.