Understanding the core

Understanding the Core Source: Bellies Inc.

The Core 4 The true core is made up of a team we call the core 4, that, when functioning optimally, support your spine and pelvis, maintain your continence, contribute to a healthy sex life and hold your internal organs in place – very important jobs!

The core 4 are the Diaphragm, the Pelvic Floor, the Transversus Abdominus and the Multifidus. This team is designed to work synergistically in anticipation of your every move. They anticipate and prepare you for the task at hand before you even move!

The Diaphragm The diaphragm is a sheet of skeletal muscle that separates the heart, lungs and ribs (the thoracic cavity) from the abdominal cavity. The diaphragm is convex in shape and is involved in breathing – it contracts and relaxes with each inhale and exhale.

As you inhale the diaphragm concentrically contracts, as it lowers, pulling air in. Think of a cylinder filing up with air that expands as air moves in. As you exhale, the fibers of the diaphragm eccentrically contract (lengthen) as it rises back to its resting state, emptying the air from the cylinder. In a well functioning core, the pelvic floor will contract and lengthen along with the diaphragm during each inhalation and exhalation.

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The Pelvic Floor The pelvic floor is a collection of muscles, nerves, tendons, blood vessels, ligaments and connective tissue that are interwoven within the pelvis and together make up the pelvic floor. The muscles of the pelvic floor connect to the pubic bone in front, to the tailbone in the back and to the sitz bones.

These muscles provide support and stability to your spine and pelvis, help keep the pelvic organs in place and help maintain your continence.

They need endurance to work together for long periods of time such as maintaining your continence throughout the day and they need to be able to contract quickly and strongly at various times during that day such as when you laugh, cough, sneeze, jump etc.

In a properly functioning pelvic floor, the contraction is automatic and happens before you actually move, cough, sneeze etc. When dysfunction is present, it can be because of the inability of the muscle to contract fully or the timing of the contraction may be the issue. It could also be the inability of the muscle to relax which is becoming increasingly common.

Transverse Abdominis The transversus abdominis (aka the transverse or TvA) is the deepest abdominal muscle and wraps around you like a corset inserting on either side of your spine. You use this muscle all day every day when you breathe, cough, sneeze, lift. It is a highly functional muscle that can become stretched and weak due to inactivity, pregnancy, posture changes, being overweight and even from doing relentless forward flexion abdominal exercises. The transverse, like the muscles of the pelvic floor, needs to maintain a certain amount of tone throughout the day to help support the spine, and the internal organs. Too much tone can create downward pressure on the pelvic floor and too little tone can mean a lack of support for the spine, abdominal and pelvic contents.

The transverse connects into the linea alba, as do the other abdominal muscles (the rectus abdominis and the obliques). The linea alba is the band of connective tissue that holds the 2 straps of the rectus abdominis in place and it is this tissue that can become stretched and weak in pregnancy, in an overweight individual or in a person performing repetitive flexion type abdominal exercises like the crunch. Excessive stretching of the connective tissue and the muscle can cause challenges with the anticipatory function of the core and if not corrected, will result in dysfunction, instability and the development of compensatory strategies for stability.

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The movement of the transverse is inwards and outwards (toward and away from the spine) and cocontracts with the pelvic floor (or at least it should) so by doing pelvic floor exercise you are also working the TVA. Replacing traditional abdominal exercise with movements that train the synergistic relationship between the pelvic floor and transverse will build and maintain a strong core for life.

The Multifidus The multifidus muscles are a group of short spinal muscles that are located on both sides of your spine, and run from your tailbone or sacrum all the way to your neck, spanning 2-4 vertebral levels each. They function to support and protect your spine.

A weakness in this muscle group contributes to chronic, dull, low back pain. In turn, pain can inhibit these muscles from functioning, so they become weak, creating a vicious pain-weakness cycle.

The multifidi are often overlooked in strengthening programs which can result in the muscles needing to work extra hard to avoid back injury and to compensate for weak abdominals.

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The Synergy of the Core 4 Optimal core function is about synergy and cooperation and it all starts with alignment and breath. As you inhale your diaphragm moves down and your rib cage expands, increasing the intra-abdominal pressure as the cylinder fills up with air. To accommodate for this increase in pressure, the pelvic floor eccentrically contracts and moves down while the abdominal wall relaxes and expands. Think - Inhale to expand.

As you exhale the rib cage returns to neutral, the diaphragm eccentrically contracts back up, the pelvic floor springs back up with a recoil contraction, and the abdominals contract to expel the air and engage the core. Think - Exhale to engage.

The timing and coordination of this team is critical for proper support of the spine and pelvis and it is the synergy of this team that is the foundation of the Bellies Inc Core Confidence exercise program.

How to Activate Your Transverse Abdominals Before activating your transverse abdominals, practice core breath. Sit on your ball and pull your bum flesh out from under you so you can really feel the sitz bones. Your reference points should be your 2 sitz bones and your perineum on the surface of the ball. Your feet will be flat on the floor and slightly wider than pelvis width apart.

Now put one hand on your belly and one hand on ribs – breathe into your hands – Inhale To Expand. You should feel your ribs expand and your belly expand away from your spine as the air draws in and fills you up. Sometimes it helps to think about breathing sideways to help bring the air to your ribs. For others it helps to visualize inflating a balloon inside you and filling up the balloon with air.

Once you have it, focus on the inhale for a few breaths - inhale to expand and feel your ribs inflate, your belly expand and bring your awareness to your pelvic floor. Feel space between your sitz bones and a sense of fullness in your perineum. Focus just on the in-breath for a while and really connect with the feeling of expansion that each inhale brings to your ribs, your belly and your pelvic floor.

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The breathing diaphragm moves down as you breathe in and up as you breathe out and the pelvic floor works in synergy with the diaphragm so it also descends (expands) as you breathe in and lifts (engages) as you breathe out. The more the diaphragm can move the more your lungs can expand and the more oxygen you can take in.

You've connected with the inhale, now bring your awareness to your exhale. As your breathe out, feel the ribs soften, the belly move inwards and the pelvic floor lift. You may feel less fullness in your perineum, less space between the sitz bones, less awareness of the surface of the ball. Once you've connected with the out breath purse your lips and blow as if you are blowing out birthday candles - it should be a slow audible exhale through pursed lips.

How did that change the sensations? Were you more aware of the movement in your pelvic floor? By pursing your lips, it changes the sensations of pressure and typically heightens the sensation of lift and inward movement of the pelvic floor and belly.

This is The Core Breath - Inhale to Expand, Exhale to Engage. Always exhale through pursed lips…. and now for the fun part - you will add in some visualizations to really connect with the lifting movement of the pelvic floor as you exhale to engage and voluntarily contract the pelvic. Imagine as you exhale… lifting your perineum (pelvic floor area) up towards the crown of your head. Each time you inhale you are relaxing and softening the pelvic floor as it expands. Each time your exhale you are pursing your lips and voluntarily lifting and engaging your pelvic floor as it contracts.

Core breathing supports the optimal function of your core and naturally strengthens the pelvic floor and deep abdominals. By practicing daily you will help maintain a fit and healthy core and create a mind-body connection to your core for use during exercise.

For a video demonstrating how to feel your transverse abdominals contracting, click here.

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