Core engagement and breathing
When you use your core properly, there are lots of muscles involved
In the Core phases though, we are consciously trying to isolate the transverse abdominis muscles (TVA) and pelvic floor, so that we can connect to them and retrain them to do their job unconsciously.
This process is subtle. It is not a hard sucking in or forceful contraction. We are not constantly holding our abs in all the time, or during all exercise. A permanently contracted muscle is not a strong one.
Equally, we're not tensing or getting other muscles involved. So if your obliques or rectus muscle (six-pack) adductors (inner thighs) glutes are tensing, shoulders hunching, pelvis tucking or ribs thrusting during this process, then the TVA is not being isolated, or possibly even activated.
So try these tips..
- Exhale, gently drawing your belly button back at the same time as gently drawing your pelvic floor upwards. Your abs are drawing gently inwards, but you are not pulling in hard. Both TVA and pelvic floor are part of your core - they work together.
- Making a ‘Ssssss’ sound as you exhale may help you find the deep TVA.
- For the pelvic floor part… imagine you’re sucking a smoothie with your vagina as the straw… or picking up a grape with your vagina… yes weird. But it works.
- Inhale as you relax the muscles, engage again on the next exhale.
When you are working out, lifting or exercising, you engage on the exhale, on the exertion. But you always relax and let it go as you inhale and prepare for the next ‘work’.
And this relax part really is vital. A permanently contracted muscle, whether an ab muscle or a pelvic floor muscle, is hypertonic (too tight). It’s every bit as weak and ineffective as a muscle that is slack and never contracted. Tension is not strength. So try to let your body move and be without tension.
Don’t worry, it becomes unconscious after a while – you really won’t have to always think so hard!
If you want more on core engagement and breathing please take a look at our exhaustive article Finding Your Transverse Muscle and Engaging Your Core and the Engagement Cues video in your MUTU Masterclass