I’ll admit it, Pilates and Core Training classes can be con-fus-ing!
Often there are 3 or 4 things to remember in just one exercise – breathe, move your arms/legs, lift your head, don’t move this, move that more…………..
But here is a quick list to know if you are using your core correctly:
Number 1: Are you breathing smoothly and consistently?
Throughout the exercise you want your breathing pattern to be smooth, no breath holding at any part – even the hard bit when you are rolling back up off the floor?
Number 2: Breathe out on the hard part of the exercise.
If you are doing a sit up, breathe out as you lift your head away from the floor, breathe out when you are lifting your weights above your head, breathe out when you are coming up from a squat, breathe out when you are rolling from the floor to sitting – WHY? because when you breathe out, your diaphragm goes up towards your head, your pelvic floor lifts and your core muscles will naturally tense, giving you a stable base to move from. If you are holding an exercise, like a plank, keep breathing normally into your belly.
Number 3: Is your Pelvis Moving?
During daily activities such as walking, running, lunging to reaching for something and lots of other movements our pelvis slightly tilts and rotates so our body can move naturally. Your pelvis and legs along with your trunk and arms, work together to create rotation and movement forwards. In these situations, you want your body to move freely, allowing the pelvis and trunk to rotate in opposite directions.
But when you are trying to build strength and elasticity in your core, focusing on not moving your pelvis is a great way to ensure you are firing up your deep core muscles, try this simple move our below. As you perform the exercise, over the repetitions you are aware of how your trunk muscles are working to keep your pelvis stable, continuing to breath as normal.
Try this: Pelvic Stability firing up your core
Number 4: Sometimes we need to consciously switch it on
You know when you are slowly meandering around a museum or a city, you are not picking up any speed, just strolling. As the hours tick by, you start to notice some discomfort in your back? You have probably lost the support your core provides to your spine. You have lost your ideal alignment. You don’t need to keep yourself stiff, like a solider, but you do need to try to think about pulling yourself up tall – lengthening up through the crown of your head. Your core muscles will naturally engage – please don’t suck your belly in – that will just give you wind!
Want to know more? Come along to the Ultimate Core & Pelvic Floor Workshop on September 24th – book your tickets here: Book your tickets