Before doing any pilates, it is worth knowing what the core means and how you benefit from having a strong one. During my classes I often refer to it as your powerhouse or girdle of strength as it is where all movements stem from.
It forms the basis of your pilates practice.
The Visual
Fig.1 Core muscles
A group of muscles are involved in creating core activation. The visual I use is a can of soup. The lid of the can is your diaphragm muscle (sits under your rib cage like an umbrella), the bottom of the can is your pelvic floor (sling of muscles under your pubic bone), the sides are your transverse abdominis (under your six pack), and the back of the can is your multifidus muscle (a series of muscles which run either side of your spine). Other muscles are involved but these are the main ones.
Activating the Core
To find your pelvic floor muscles, try to stop the flow of urine when you go to the toilet.
To find your transverse abdominis muscle, place your thumbs over your belly button and hands over your hips with fingers towards your pubic bone and cough strongly. You will feel the muscle move under your fingers. Now draw the muscles in towards your spine slowly so the muscle feels strong and solid but not braced or overly tense.
You may have heard the phrase draw in and up as a way to describe engaging the pelvic floor and transverse abdominis muscles together.
How can core strength benefit you on a daily basis?
Sitting at your desk
Stability in your lower back to prevent back ache
Mobility in your back
Correct sitting posture to reduce neck and shoulder ache
Using a phone
Mobility in neck and shoulders
Stability in upper body and shoulders
Good sitting posture to reduce neck and shoulder discomfort
Carrying bags (laptop, handbag)
Spinal stability against lateral (sideways) forces
Strong and balanced posture
Reduced shoulder muscle tightness
Lifting (baby, boxes, weights)
Mobility in neck and shoulders
Good lifting technique to avoid back strain
Strong postural muscles
Lateral, rotational and isometric strength (the plank)
Gardening
Spinal mobility
Isometric, lateral and rotational strength
Reduced tension in lower back and shoulders
Driving
Mobility in neck, shoulders and lower back
Lower back stability and strength
Good sitting posture
Reduced lower back, shoulder and hip flexor pain
Cleaning
Stability and strength in all movements
Stability in upper back and lower back against sideways and rotational forces
Reduced lower back pain
Sports
Good form or posture to help prevent injury
Endurance improved for better performance
Greater mobility and flexibility for better muscle function
Stability and strength in all movements
Better balance
What is core training?
Core Mobility This is the precursor to any core work. It is important to mobilise (warm up) your spine and hips before exercise to loosen the tight muscles and encourage the weaker muscles to function properly. Stiff joints or hypermobile ones will lead to imbalances as one part of the body is forced to compensate for the lack of movement or increased range of movement in another. The body can generally be divided up into zones which are stable (S) or mobile (M). Each mobile zone needs to retain adequate mobility not to force instability into the stable zone.
Core Stability This is key to any pilates practice. It is the way you control your mid-section or lower torso to improve posture and movement of your arms and legs. It focuses on the core muscles mentioned earlier to create a cylinder of strength. The main deep muscles are: multifidus at the back, transverse abdominis to the sides and pelvic floor at the bottom. These stabilise your spine during most movements while your gluteus (bottom) muscles and QL (side of waist) stabilise your pelvis. Core Strength Once core stability has been mastered, you can move on to core strength. Your core muscles can now be safely pushed beyond normal demands and held in positions to test your endurance strength.