Your “CORE” is more than you think…

I did a workshop today for a mom group and ask the usual question: “What is your interpretation of your core?” and everyone said “abs” and a few threw in “back”. Good on them and that’s about half right. However, there are two crucial missing parts; the diaphragm and the pelvic floor. Use them all together efficiently and you have optimal core “function”. On the other hand, if one of them isn’t working properly….well put it this way, I had to tell one of the moms that she has a “dys”-function in her core. She wasn’t impressed.

The diaphragm, transverse, multifidus and pelvic floor work in unison together to create your inner core. This system works synergistically together to ensure that one allows the other optimal function for maximal benefit. Keeping that in mind, if one isn’t working at peak performance or is “locked”, it begins to inhibit the others from working at their peak performance. Get it?

For example; the transverse and the pelvic floor muscles co-contract with each other which is a bonus. But! If your are suffering from pelvic floor weakness/incontinence, this lessens the amount of contraction you can perform thus lessening the amount of contraction you receive from the transverse.

Or….if you constantly contract your transverse to maximal intensity, the other parts of the machine (known as you core) can’t move efficiently because one of the primary movers is “locked”.

Now I realize that a lot of this sounds a little out there, but the latest research is showing that the foundation of our bodies is our core muscle system. It fires before we go into a movement and supports, protects and allows us to do things in a safe and balanced way. Lose that and I wish you the best of luck.

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