is my core my tummy?

BIG THANK YOU TO CLAIRE ABUAN our in house PILATES/GYROTONIC extraordinaire for submitting an article she thought you all would enjoy....

The functional centre

Deep core muscles act as a brace around your spine. It is not simply one muscle but a group of muscles that work synergistically to support and protect your back.

Given that they should be working all the time during movement, sitting and standing they work at a lower strength of contraction (about 30%). This is unlike your biceps that contract all at once to lift your shopping bags from the floor.

You can practice activating these deep core stabilisers by placing your finger tips just medial of your hips and gently flatten out across your waist. You are looking to feel a slow rising underneath your finger tips. At first it is easiest to use an exhale to achieve this action however after some practice you should be able to maintain the contraction whilst breathing in and out and later on (ideally) progressing to the whole class and work day.

jos's two cents

TUMMY OR CORE?

the common gym goer will think that core work involved a lot of crunches. well your core is central, but involves all the muscles in the trunk of your bod.

seratus-in between the ribs

rectus abdominus

external obliques

interal oblique

those are just the crunch muscles

Erector Spinae as well as the Multifidus are very important to core stabilization

they are very intricate little muscles

that surround your spine & support your posture

importantly you must train these tiny little muscles to achieve total trunk control, which in turn is the power house of full body movement

think about it....even sitting in a chair, try this

go to lift your knee really quickly toward your chest (without hitting your desk)

where did that movement come from....slow it down & tell me

you have to stabilize your sit bones, shit your weight to your other foot & contract in your abs before any movement even happens. then the psoas contracts to pull that lil leg of yours off the ground.

IT ALL MAKES SENCE

put the time in for longevity, not just seasonal results

stabilizing the spine with help prevent injury,

as well as improve posture, power & speed