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The core is a group of muscles that work together to stabilize the midsection of the body, including the spine, pelvis, and kinetic chain. These muscles are always engaged, except when one is asleep. The core muscles can be divided into two groups: stabilizers and global movers. The stabilizers, or inner core muscles, are located deep in the trunk and attached to the spine, providing stability to the pelvis. The global movers, or outer core muscles, are located closer to the body's surface and are responsible for movement and some stability. The core muscles include the abdominal muscles, gluteal muscles, hip girdle, paraspinal muscles, and diaphragm, among others.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Definition | The core is a group of trunk and hip muscles that surround the spine, abdominal viscera, and hip. |
| Function | Core muscles help maintain proper posture, protect the body's internal organs, and are crucial for athletic movements. |
| Types | Inner core muscles (stabilizers) and outer core muscles (global movers). |
| Muscle Composition | The core is composed of slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscle fibers. Slow-twitch fibers make up the local stabilising muscle system (inner core), while fast-twitch fibers comprise the global muscle system (outer core). |
| Examples of Inner Core Muscles | Transverse abdominis, multifidus, pelvic floor muscles, internal and external abdominal obliques. |
| Examples of Outer Core Muscles | Rectus abdominis, external obliques, erector spinae. |
| Exercises for Core Stability | Crunches, oblique crunches, bridges, bird-dog, cat-cow pose, and exercises with a physioball. |
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Transverse abdominis
The transverse abdominis is a deep abdominal muscle that wraps around the abdomen horizontally, much like a corset. It is the only abdominal muscle with muscle fibres that run side to side. It is the core's main stabiliser muscle, supporting the spine, pelvis, and internal organs.
The transverse abdominis is also known as the transversus abdominis, transversalis muscle, and TVA (transverse abdominal muscle). It is an important core muscle, and weakness in this muscle can cause lower back pain and lumbar instability. It is innervated by the lower intercostal nerves, the iliohypogastric nerve, and the ilioinguinal nerve.
The TVA helps to compress the ribs and viscera, providing thoracic and pelvic stability. It also helps to maintain normal abdominal wall tension and increase intra-abdominal pressure, which supports internal organs and viscera and aids expulsive forces, such as forced expiration, late-stage childbirth, urination, and defecation.
Training the TVA can help to decrease back pain, improve pelvic floor function, and improve posture. It is important to note that training the rectus abdominis muscles alone will not result in a "flat" belly, as this effect is achieved through training the TVA.
To activate the TVA, one can lie on their back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Place your fingers on the muscles just below your belly button, then contract those muscles by pulling them down and away from your fingers—without holding your breath. This isolates the TVA without activating the rectus abdominis muscle.
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Rectus abdominis
The rectus abdominis muscle, also known as the ""abdominal muscle" or "abs", is a pair of segmented skeletal muscles on the front of a person's abdomen. The rectus abdominis is the muscle that people refer to when they talk about having a "six-pack". It is two flat and parallel muscles separated by linea alba (a connective tissue). The muscle extends from the pubic symphysis, pubic crest and pubic tubercle inferiorly, to the xiphoid process and costal cartilages of the 5th–7th ribs superiorly.
The rectus abdominis is contained in the rectus sheath, which consists of the aponeuroses of the lateral abdominal muscles. Each rectus abdominis is traversed by bands of connective tissue called tendinous intersections, which interrupt it into distinct muscle bellies. The rectus abdominis is a very long flat muscle, which extends along the whole length of the front of the abdomen.
The rectus abdominis is an important postural muscle. It is responsible for flexing the lumbar spine, as when doing a crunch. The rib cage is brought up to where the pelvis is when the pelvis is fixed, or the pelvis can be brought towards the rib cage (posterior pelvic tilt) when the rib cage is fixed, such as in a leg-hip raise. The two can also be brought together simultaneously when neither is fixed in space. The rectus abdominis assists with breathing and plays an important role in respiration when forcefully exhaling, as seen after exercise.
Weak abdominal muscles can cause a host of problems, so it is important to strengthen them. Exercises such as crunches, oblique crunches, and bridges are great for strengthening the rectus abdominis. To isolate the rectus abdominis, exercises should be performed while bending the knees to minimize the engagement of hip flexors.
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Erector spinae
The Erector Spinae (ES) is a large and superficial muscle that is one of the core and paraspinal muscles. It lies just deep to the thoracolumbar fascia and arises from the erector spinae aponeurosis (ESA), a common aponeurosis that blends with the thoracolumbar fascia. The ESA has a proximal attachment to the sacrum and the spinous processes of the lumbar vertebrae. The ES is formed of three muscles with fibres running vertically throughout the lumbar, thoracic, and cervical regions. Its muscle mass is poorly differentiated but divides into three sections in the upper lumbar area: the lateral (iliocostalis), intermediate (longissimus), and medial (spinalis).
The iliocostalis is the most lateral part of the ES muscles and attaches to the ribs. Due to its lateral position, tightness in the iliocostalis muscles can force the ipsilateral hip into a superior position or bring the rib cage towards the hip. The longissimus forms the middle part of the ES muscles and is the thickest and longest. It attaches along the transverse process of the vertebrae. The spinalis is the smallest and most medial column of the ES muscles. It has three parts: spinalis thoracis, spinalis cervicis, and spinalis capitis.
The function of the ES is to straighten and rotate the back, as well as play a role in stability. Bilateral contraction of the ES muscles causes back and head extension, while unilateral contraction causes lateral flexion. They also help maintain posture by steadying the spine on the pelvis during walking. In individuals with low back pain, the ES flexion-relaxation phenomenon is absent. The ES functions to stabilize the lumbar spine, and lumbar stabilization exercises can help restore the ES flexion-relaxation phenomenon by strengthening the multifidus muscle.
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Multifidus
The multifidus is a group of short, triangular muscles that are part of the transversospinal group of deep back muscles. They are the thickest muscles in this group and are found on either side of the vertebral column, extending from the cervical to the lumbar spine. The multifidus is deeper than other muscles such as the erector spinae, transverse abdominis, and abdominal internal and external oblique muscles.
The multifidus has direct attachments to the spinal segments, allowing it to stabilize the motion segment during lifting and rotational movements of the spine. It functions as an extensible ligament that stabilizes the vertebral column. When the multifidus contracts bilaterally, it extends the spine, while unilateral contraction aids in lateral flexion and rotation of the spine to the opposite side. This muscle is continuously active in upright postures and is likely active during all anti-gravity activities.
The multifidus is divided into three regions: cervical multifidus, thoracic multifidus, and lumbar multifidus. Each region has a specific origin and insertion. For example, cervical multifidus muscles arise from the superior articular processes of C4–C7 and insert on the lateral aspect of the spinous processes of C2–C5 vertebrae. Thoracic multifidus originates from the transverse processes of thoracic vertebrae and inserts on the spinous processes of vertebrae 2–5 levels above their origin. Fibers of lumbar multifidus arise from the mammillary processes of lumbar vertebrae and the posterior surface of the sacrum.
The multifidus muscle has a high cross-sectional area, contributing to its high force-generating capacity. Its deep layer only spans two vertebral segments, resulting in a shorter muscle excursion and more compression-type motion at the spinal joint. The unique design of the multifidus provides it with extra strength and stability, making each vertebra work more effectively. Weakness and atrophy of the multifidus muscle have been associated with chronic low back pain.
To strengthen the multifidus muscle, specific exercises can be performed. One method is to tense the pelvic floor muscles for a few seconds, similar to the action of stopping urination midstream. Another exercise involves lying on your back or side with your spine in a neutral posture and gently lifting the lumbar vertebra 1 mm above the one below. This helps to isolate and contract the multifidus muscle.
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Pelvic floor
The pelvic floor is a group of 16 muscles that work together to provide stability to the pelvis and spine. These muscles stretch from the pubic bone to the tailbone (coccyx) and extend outward on both sides of the pelvis. The pelvic floor muscles are part of a group of muscles known as the core, which also includes abdominal muscles, back muscles, and the diaphragm.
The pelvic floor muscles support important organs in the pelvis, such as the bladder, bowel, and internal reproductive organs. They hold these organs in place, providing the flexibility required for essential bodily functions such as urination, defecation, and sexual intercourse. The pelvic floor muscles also help to control bowel and bladder function, allowing the body to absorb outside pressure from activities like lifting or coughing, thereby protecting the spine and organs.
Exercising the pelvic floor muscles can help to improve their strength and flexibility, reducing the risk of associated conditions. Research has shown that pelvic floor muscle exercises combined with core stability exercises can be particularly beneficial for women experiencing stress urinary incontinence and nonspecific chronic low back pain. These exercises can help to improve incontinence, reduce pain, and enhance quality of life.
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Frequently asked questions
Core stabilizers are muscles that help to stabilize the spine, pelvis, and kinetic chain during functional movements.
The core muscles can be divided into two groups: stabilizers and global movers. The inner core muscles include the transverse abdominis, multifidus, and pelvic floor muscles. The outer core muscles or global movers include the rectus abdominis, external obliques, and erector spinae.
Core stabilizer muscles provide stability to the pelvis and spine, protect internal organs, and help prevent injuries. They also enable proper load balance within the spine, pelvis, and kinetic chain, allowing for optimal movement and performance.
When you pull your belly button toward your spine without holding your breath, you are engaging your transverse abdominis, one of the key core stabilizer muscles. Maintaining a neutral body position with good posture also helps to engage your core stabilizer muscles.
