What is core strength?

A post about wine you say?! How fabulous! Alas, not quite, but stick with me for the connection…

Have you wondered what people are going on about when they talk about your core?

When we talk about core muscles or core strength, we really mean those deep stabilising muscles in the torso and pelvis, which help to support our spines and promote efficient movement throughout the body (as well as other functions related to internal pressure in the body).

There are a few slightly varying definitions, but these muscles include our deep pelvic floor muscles in the base of the pelvis, our diaphragm (below the lungs at the bottom of our ribcage), the multifidus (deep stabilising muscles around the spine), and our transversus abdominis (a deep layer of muscle in the front and sides of our abdomen, also known as the corset muscle). You could think of your core as a like a cylinder or barrel (there it is!) of muscles inside the torso.

This is somewhat different from your powerhouse which also includes your seat and hip muscles, which are incredibly important for moving well and stabilising our bodies.

Our muscles can also have a significant impact on other things. For example, if your muscles aren’t supporting your spine and ribcage well or we have restricted movement this can also impact our breathing and our ability to engage and strengthen our core muscles.

Pilates helps us to train these muscles to promote more free and balanced movement, and is therefore also helpful in addressing problems that can sometimes be caused by our posture or a lack of core strength.

If you want to improve your strength and movement, drop me a line to find out more - www.faybpilates.co.uk/contact