You may have heard your instructor say “brace your core”, or “engage your core”, and “are you holding your core tight?” and then wondered what on earth are they talking about? I even ask my Zumba participants mid-song as a reminder “ARE YOU HOLDING YOUR CORE?” and sometimes I get a look like I’m speaking a foreign language.
Your core is more than just your superficial abdominal muscles or “abs”. Your core is mostly the torso, consisting of the pelvic floor muscles, transversus abdominis, obliques, rectus abdominis, and erector spinae. The core muscles support our entire body, and are vital to our functions and health. Most people want the washboard six-pack abs for cosmetic purposes, however having strong core muscles should be the priority for a strong and healthy body (and yes, the defined abdominal muscles do come with that).
Now, when I say “brace your core tight”, I don’t mean “suck in your belly and don’t breathe”. This is not properly engaging your core muscles.
To properly contract your core muscles, pretend like you’re Bruce Lee and about to be punched in the stomach. THIS IS EXACTLY HOW YOU TO ENGAGE YOUR CORE! As if you’re preparing for someone to land a fist right in your gut. Many people can relate to this example (and have a good laugh) because explaining it in technical terms can sound confusing (but it’s not).
Here’s how to learn how to properly engage your core muscles:
On a floor mat, lie down on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor.
Press your palms face down on your belly.
Press your lower back into the floor, so that there is no space between your lower back and the floor and the pelvis tilts upward slightly.
Take a deep breath in so that you see your belly fill and expand with air.
Exhale slowly releasing the air out of the belly so that you see it flatten down, and pull your belly button in slightly toward the spine.
Breathe in again deeply but do not release the contraction of your abdominals.
Continue to breathe in and out with your abdominals contracted.
Core strength is vital for:
Relief of muscle tension (think of lower back pain relief)
Protect the spine
Reduced risk of injury
Improved digestive health (to prevent bloating and constipation)
Reducing excess belly fat and diseases associated (diabetes, obesity)
Increased athletic performance
The benefits of a strong core include:
Support for everyday tasks (lifting, bending, bathing, dressing, laundry, carrying groceries)
Better posture and appearance of confidence
Improved feeling of health during work (sitting at the desk, standing, lifting)
Healthy back (think of all the back pain complaints you hear!)
Improved balance and stability
More effective work outs and improved results
While exercising, whether it is cardio, flexibility, or weight lifting, instructors emphasize for participants to brace their core. This is so important during exercise to protect the body from injury. For example, having the belly relaxed and poor back posture during a deadlift, clean and press, or plank can lead to lower back pain or other injuries.
Aside from exercising, it’s also beneficial to brace the core while working, sitting at your desk all day, walking, and doing household chores. Or as I like to say, brace the core all day, except while eating, sleeping, and lounging around watching Netflix.
While contracting the core while sitting or hanging out all day won’t get you six-pack abs, it will make them tighter and improve the muscle tone.
As a positive body image reminder, each one of us is different, including how our bodies are proportioned. There are women that have had two children and with hard work they can re-attain chiseled abs while some women after children work hard on their core but have some loose skin. Core strength or beautiful bodies are not defined by one part of your appearance that mostly remains under your shirt.