How has your core been feeling lately?  Were you able to find and engage the lower abdominal muscle to give you more support during exercise?  Do you have a better understanding on how to contract your pelvic floor?  If you missed part one of this blog series detailing how to find and engage these muscles, click here to read that quick post.

In this post, we’re going to discuss how to find and engage the multifidus, a key component of a strong core.

What is the multifidus?

The multifidus is a diamond shaped muscle in your lower back that sits deep to your spinal erector muscles. While these muscles are often quick to kick in to help stabilize, they get tight very quickly and can cause  compression in your back.  The  question then becomes – how do we find that deep muscle and activate it?  No worries, I’ve got your back. (see what I did there?)

Finding the multifidus

Start in a standing position and put a hand on each side of your lower back right over those spinal erector muscles.  Lean backwards slightly and feel those muscles contract and tighten under your fingers.  Now, come back up to neutral and tip just slightly forward and you should feel those erector muscles relax; if you keep leaning forward they will tighten back up to support you from falling over. 

Come back up to the point where you feel those erector muscles are nice and soft and sink your fingers deep to feel the multifidus.  From this point, try to come an inch taller without letting those erector muscles get tight. 

Activating the multifidus 

There are a few different ways to activate this muscle. You can either engage by practicing a few different positions or engage as prep before an activity that involves support such as carrying or lifting.

Watch the video below for a full demonstration on how to activate!

I encourage you to try these exercises and consider incorporating into your overall fitness routine. If you have any questions, feel free to connect with me at amber@physioroomco.com

The post A Bulletproof Core: Find and Engage the Multifidus appeared first on Physio Room.

Have you been told to “turn on” your core when you exercise? Do you struggle to understand where these muscles are and how to effectively activate? If so, you’re not alone. Let’s discuss what your core is and how to activate so you can become stronger, healthier, and more resilient to injury.

What is your core?

What muscles do you think make up your core? There are a lot of muscles in the abdominal area that are considered part of the core. The main purpose of the core is to provide stability without limiting mobility.  If you contract the upper abdominals and then try to bend backwards, you will find it hard to complete the same range of motion if you were not contracting these muscles.

The four muscle groups that make up the core are the transverse abdominis, the multifidi, the diaphragm, and the pelvic floor. The purpose of these muscles is to support you while you move and to manage the pressure within your abdomen and pelvis while you perform different activities. When these muscles are not working optimally, symptoms such as low back pain, urinary incontinence and difficulty progressing with movements may develop.

How can you activate your core?

1.) Focus on the transverse abdominis
To activate, you may have been told to suck your belly button in towards your spine or rotate your pelvis so when you are laying on your back you flatten your spine into the floor. While these are good tips, I tend to find that they often cause you to over contract and engage extra muscles. The cue I prefer is to “bring your hip bones together”.  While you won’t actually generate any motion, this helps to bring the contraction lower in your abdomen and keep your upper abs and glutes from overpowering.  If you bring your fingers about 2 inches in towards your belly button from your hip bones, you should feel this area firm up without pushing up with the contraction. 

Watch the “Post-Pregnancy Plank Progression” video here.

2.) Focus on the pelvic floor
While it tends to be talked about more with females, both females and males have a pelvic floor. However,  the anatomy changes slightly and therefore, cueing on how to activate is adjusted.  The one cue most people are used to hearing is to stop the sensation of having to use the restroom.  This direction may cause you to over engage and can lead to bladder dysfunction. 

To engage these muscles, you want to stop the sensation of flatulence, and “zip” that contraction forward.  This should be a gentle contraction and you should feel supported without feeling like you are working too hard.  You can then add the above transverse abdominis contraction to create a well-supportive sling.

I encourage you to try these exercises and consider incorporating into your overall fitness routine. Stay tuned for part two of this blog series, which will cover the remaining muscle groups that make up your core. If you have any questions, feel free to connect with me at amber@physioroomco.com

The post What is Your Core & How Can You Activate it? appeared first on Physio Room.