5 Tips for Better Core Engagement

The core is multidimensional, and the better we understand this, the more we will be able to recruit our core muscles in both barre and movement classes, but also in life (when we need to!). Here are our top tips on ensuring your core is working functionally.

1. Keep breathing: Your core naturally expands as you inhale and contracts as you exhale. Never hold your breath in order to “push through” an exercise. Instead, work harder and stronger on your exhalations, and breathe deeply throughout.
2. Think three-dimensionally: Your core muscles wrap 360 degrees and extend from deep in your pelvis all the way up to your diaphragm. And all these muscles work together! Only focusing on one piece of the core (ahem, six-pack) can lead to instability and weakness in the overall core system.
3. Mobility contributes to strength: a healthy and effective core must be able to fully contract and relax. Twist, bend, stretch, and breathe deeply in order to gain mobility, especially along your spine.
4. Get to know your pelvis: instead of tucking your pelvis under or tilting it up behind you, try keeping your pelvis stable in a neutral position while exercising. Use the muscles that run between your sitting bones and across your low belly to keep the pelvis steady as your arms and legs move.
5. Pay attention: Are you lifting your legs from your low belly as you walk up the driveway? Are you keeping a neutral, steady pelvis while holding your babies? Are you breathing deeply even while you’re at your desk? What we do in the quiet, repetitive moments of our days has more impact on our core function than any 60-minute class ever could.

If you'd like to learn to better connect to your core, join us for a 7-day free trial.