Use Your "CORE" - Protect Your Back!

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What are your "CORE" muscles and how do you use them to protect your back?

Your "CORE" Explained

Use your "Core" -- Protect your back! Every time you exercise your yoga instructor, athletic trainer, or physical therapist will encourage you to “ENGAGE YOUR CORE!” Unfortunately, not everyone fully understands what that means or how to put it into practice. Don't be embarrassed if you feel mystified about how to actually engage your core -- you are not alone. Let me give you some tips!

What is your core?

 Your core muscles are made up of several muscle groups. These include the rectus abdominis (AKA the “six pack”), the abdominal obliques and the transversus abdominis. They wrap around the front of your abdomen and overlap in the back with your back muscles. A strong “belt” is created around the abdomen and this provides stability to your spinal joints.

Why is your core important?

When active or even sitting down, you want to feel like you are holding in your stomach. This creates a coordinated contraction of both the abdominal muscles and back muscles which then support your back. To be clear, when you are active, your back muscles do most of the work, but when you contract your core muscles you protect your spine from over extension and over flexion.

How do you best work your core muscles?

To begin exercising the core muscles, first you need to find and control them.

Breathing is a good way to start. Lying on your back, take a deep breath in without moving your ribcage. Your stomach should expand more than the ribs. As you exhale, let the stomach recede and gently contract the muscles, pulling your belly button toward your spine. The goal is to create a slight tension in the abdominal muscles. Try this a few times, but not so much that you start to feel dizzy.

You can begin to engage the oblique muscles by lying on your back. Lie with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Let both knees fall to the same side, then bring them back as you flatten your back into the floor. Then release your back and let the knees fall to the other side and repeat several times. Move slowly and remember to also hold your stomach in.

More intense core exercises can include leg lifts, sit ups or crunches, however be aware that these can put a lot of pressure on the low back, particularly the discs (this has been demonstrated in some good research done here in Ontario). If you are having any back pain you should avoid these exercises! A better option would be planks. These engage the abdominals in a neutral posture and won’t put pressure on the discs. To do a plank start by lying on your stomach on the floor. Prop yourself up so your elbows are below your shoulders and the forearms are facing forward. Curl your toes under, then press up so your body is in a straight line between your shoulders and your heels. You hold this position, beginning with 20-30 seconds and then lower to the floor. Repeat a few times at first, building up the time as you improve. Move slowly and remember to also hold your stomach in. (Refer to the photo for proper positioning.)

Finally, engaging your core muscles needs to become a habit. When prescribing exercises, I often tell patients, “everything is an abdominal exercise.” The goal is to make engaging your core an ingrained habit that you don’t even need to think about!

If you have questions about how to do core exercises or are having trouble doing them without pain, Dr. Doug is a good resource to assess your back and give you the best exercises to create a flexible and strong spine. Book an appointment today!

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