What Does “Brace Your Core” Even Mean?
Ever have anyone tell you to “brace your core!” and wonder what the heck they were talking about?
They were probably referring to your transverse abdominis muscle and the key role it plays in stabilising the lower back and pelvis during movement. This helps you to maintain an optimal posture and reduce the strain on the vertebrae and discs of your spine.
The left transverse abdominis (front and rear view). Certain abdominal and back muscles have been hidden in order to fully show the TA.
The transverse abdominis (TA) is the deepest of the abdominal muscles running from the ribs to the pelvis. The fibres are orientated horizontally and wrap around the trunk from front to back, like a natural back brace.
The transverse abdominal helps to compress the ribs and viscera, providing thoracic and pelvic stability. Without a stable spine, supported by proper TA contraction, the nervous system struggles to efficiently recruit the muscles in the extremities, hindering the performance of functional movements.
As well as providing a key role in postural support and functional movement, the TA helps to contain and support the organs located inside the trunk.
Given that “core training” is often merely viewed as a quick add on at the end of a training session consisting of a few crunches and twists, many people have difficulty correctly activating their TA. This can create long term issues such as instability, weakness and injury.
To activate your TA, imagine you’re gently squeezing your lower abdomen to prevent urinating, while very lightly drawing your belly button in towards your spine, as if you’re trying to zip up a tight pair of jeans.
This gets much easier with practise:
Start by lying on your back with your knees bent
Place your hands on your lower abdomen. Your stomach shouldn’t push out against your hands as that indicates that more superficial abdominal muscles are working instead
Lightly draw your the lowest part of your abdomen in and up as though you’re trying to prevent yourself urinating
Gently draw your belly button towards your ribs and spine
Keep breathing as normally as you can, while maintaining your TA activation
Start with rounds of about 30 seconds at a time, two or three times a day
As you get more familiar with the process and the sensation, you can try the same thing when sitting or standing, at various intervals across the day and in your workouts as well
