Why Focusing on Abs Alone is Limiting Your Core Performance

We have all heard the term "the core" at least once in a workout class or from our athletic coaches when we were young athletes, right? I mean, it has entire group fitness studios named after it! But what really is the core, and why is everyone talking about it all the dang time? Well, I don’t think it is going to be for the reasons you think it is! Let me explain why…  

The “Core” is a system of muscles that work together to stabilize your trunk, allowing your limbs to move from a stable base. The most important muscles involved are the Abdominals, back muscles (like the Multifidi and Paraspinals,which are deep muscles of the back that help with spinal stability), the Diaphragm (your primary breathing muscle), and the Pelvic Floor muscles (the ones that make up a good portion of your pelvis, that every human has, and are widely known about as it relates to bladder, bowel & sexual health).

For your trunk to provide stability, it relies on pressure—specifically, air flow. This is why, in our view, the abs are not the most interesting part of the core’s function. Yes, they’re necessary, but not as crucial as the Diaphragm and pelvic floor! Without the Diaphragm and pelvic floor muscles, we wouldn’t be able to live, let alone manage the pressure and air flow needed for proper movement and function.

When we breathe, the diaphragm and pelvic floor work together like two bowls stacked on top of each other (convex/concavely) to help move air in and out. As the diaphragm contracts to pull air into our lungs, the pelvic floor relaxes and lowers to offset the increased abdominal pressure from the air flowing into the trunk.

Then, when we exhale, both the diaphragm and pelvic floor ascend (moving upward toward your head) together. This rhythm should occur naturally with diaphragmatic breathing. However, if we’re not breathing diaphragmatically, this coordination can break down, leading to dysfunction in the pelvic floor and other issues throughout the core.

Now, imagine adding external forces—think gravity, ground reaction forces, weights, or the speed or power of a movement. These factors put even more demand on the core, especially the Diaphragm and pelvic floor, which again, are responsible for regulating air flow and pressure.

Without optimal breathing patterns, the core can’t function to its fullest extent. 

Dysfunction in the Diaphragm and pelvic floor can limit your core’s ability to stabilize, reducing overall movement efficiency and potentially leading to compensations in the body, or worse, injury.

How to practice Diaphragmatic Breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing typically means getting a proper inhale through your nose and exhaling out of your mouth. Inhaling through your nose cleans & humidifies the air, which is better for oxygenation. Remember, when we have more oxygen, we typically feel better!

As you inhale through your nose, it is ideal to feel your ribs slightly expand laterally (to the sides) - proper ribcage excursion during breathing is immensely important to ensure your diaphragm has enough room to move so you can get more air and oxygen in. The exhale out of your mouth also needs to be long enough to feel your ribcage come back down to it’s normal resting position, which usually takes ~2x as long as it takes for you to inhale in; so longer exhales than inhales is the goal! 

A great way to see how efficient you are at using your diaphragm/core for airflow purposes is to blow up a balloon - read that blog for more info & any safety considerations.

Images courtesy of Pelvic Guru