The core… it’s a hot topic, but it is one of the most misunderstood concepts in exercise training. At Move Mountains Physio we practice whole-body, holistic physiotherapy to understand the root cause of your injury. Bad core activation is one of the most common causes of injury we see and can cause anything from back and pelvic pain to plantar fasciitis. If you have chronic pain or niggle or reccuring injuries keep reading.

Question #1 - What is the core?

Most core training problems start with a misunderstanding of what muscles make up the core because the abdominal wall (or “abs” as they’re commonly known) and the core are not the same thing. This means that tensing the abs and feeling the stomach go “hard” is not engaging the core. It also means that sit-ups, crunches, 100’s and oblique twists are not core exercises.

The abdominal wall is made up of 3 layers of muscles. The top layer is the rectus abdominis (the 6-pack muscle), we use it to do a sit-up. The second layer is the obliques which we use for twisting movements. The third layer is the transversus abdominis. It is the only muscle of the abdominal wall which is part of the core. The other muscles of the core are the deep lower back muscles, the pelvic floor and the diaphragm.

The core muscles are deep, their role is to turn on before we move to keep us stable and our movements controlled. The top two layers of the abdominal wall are moving muscles, their role is to turn on for a short period (after the core muscles have already engaged) to create the movement itself. A good way to remember it is that the core muscles are stabilisers thus creating stability whereas the top layers are moving muscles which create movement. If the outer moving layers start trying to do the job of the inner stabilising muscles it is a bit like trying to get a plumber to wire the electrics in your house - they don’t do a good job. The abs are too big and strong for the task so instead of holding us in good neutral alignment and keeping our movements safe, they create instability and excess muscle tension which are common contributors to pain and injury.

Questions #2 - How do I know if I’m engaging my core correctly?

Depending on your body, the way to activate your core might be as simple as repositioning your pelvis or ribcage to find neutral spine or we might need a specific cue like “lift your pelvic floor” or “gently draw your hip bones apart”. It’s impossible to give a one-size-fits-all cue that works for everybody, but it is easy to identify when the cue you’re using isn’t working. When our deep core muscles are activating correctly, we naturally have good posture and positioning, movement is easy and we feel balanced.

To check if your current core cue is activating the right muscles, follow these steps:

Step 1:

Lie down with your knees bent up and feet flat on the floor. First, check if your lower back is resting flat against the floor. Neutral position of the lumbar spine is with a slight arch in it so if your lower back is resting flat against the floor, this is the first sign that your core muscles are not activating correctly. 

Step 2:

Lift one leg up to 90 degrees at the hip and knee. Take note of how heavy your leg is. Do your legs weigh the same? Do you rock from side to side as you move? 

Step 3:

Turn on your core as you would if you were in the gym or a pilates class. Check:

• Is there any movement of your hips or lower back as you activate your core (e.g. does your back flatten into the floor or does the tailbone lift?)

• Is there any movement of your ribcage as you activate your core (e.g. Does your upper back push into the floor or does your ribcage flex down towards your belly button?)

• Do your belly muscles get hard and jump up into your fingers if you place your hands on your stomach?

• Do your bum muscles tighten? 

  If you answered yes to any of these questions, it is not your core muscles turning on. Remember core muscles are stabilisers, not movers, so they should not create any kind of movement when you activate them. 

Step 4:

If you passed step 3, turn on your core and repeat the leg lifts one at a time. Do your legs feel heavier or lighter than they did before? Are you still rocking from side to side?

If you’re activating your core (the stabilisers), your legs should feel lighter and you should feel nice and stable.

So what should you do if you don’t think you core is working as well as it should be? Make an appointment. We can assess your core control in the clinic or via an online consultation and show you what you need to do.

And if your personal trainer or pilates instructor has been telling you to “flatten your back” or “tense your abs” to turn on your core? Don’t worry, you’re not alone, there was a time when physiotherapists thought that flattening the back was the best way to activate the core. Our understanding of good core activation has changed however, and so must the way we train our clients. If you think your personal trainer or pilates instructor would be interested, feel free to share this blog with them. Injuries caused by bad core training are very common but very avoidable.

Still have questions about the core? Check out our other blogs 5 Great Core Exercises and Core FAQs.