Engaging your Core

This is a very common phrase that is used in gyms and in yoga and pilates studies. It is even said that you should engage your core while sitting or running. But what does it mean and why would you need to do it? The simple answer is… you don’t.
The reality is that Physiotherapists see many patients who hurt themselves in gyms, or sitting in chairs, or running. But when it comes to lower back pain you are much more likely to hurt yourself over-bracing your abdominal muscles and in doing so creating more rigidity and compressive forces on the spine.
The muscles around your “core” are commonly talked about as being your abdominals, specifically Rectus Abdominis, Transversus Abdominis and your Internal and External Obliques. These muscles don’t all activate the same amount at the same time, they have more complicated activation patterns based on your natural movement patterns. So next time you are in the gym don’t focus on tensing your core, or glutes, instead focus on keeping good technique and the muscles that need to work will do so naturally.
For more information on this or to learn to move more naturally book in for a Functional Movement (FuMo) assessment or in to one of our BodyFit or ReformerFit classes.