The ‘core’: a confusing term?

If you’re not even sure what your core is, or if you thought it was mostly about your abdominals, here’s a simple guide as to what it is, what it does, what kind of core work you find in yoga and how it’s beneficial to you.

So what makes up your core?

The abdominals are important, but if we want to take a more 360 degree view of our core, then a good way to start is to look at it as a cylinder:

• Four layers of abdominals make up the front and sides of the cylinder, (with the ‘6-pack’ the most superficial layer)

• At the back, we have the back muscles (!)

• The diaphragm and pelvic floor make up the top and bottom of the cylinder.

• The gluteal muscles are included as they’re a significant part of the side and back of the cylinder.

• There’s also the all important ‘core of the core’, the psoas, which sits deep inside the cylinder

What does your core do?

It contains your organs and connects your spine, pelvis, ribcage and legs. It supports our upright posture, stabilising the midsection of the body while enabling free movement of our limbs.

How does having a strong core help you?

• A stable midsection enables efficient movement, more strength and power.

• A strong core allows for agility and easeful movement.

• It improves balance by maintaining our centre of gravity, whether we are in the middle of a flowing sequence or holding a still pose, and enables us to recover our balance should we trip over.

• It reduces the risk of strains and sprains from lifting heavy loads, overdoing it in the gym or exercise class.

Why is a strong core increasingly important as we age?

From the age of 30 we can lose as much as 8% of our muscle mass each decade and after 60 this escalates dramatically, so we need to maintain or restore the stability of this area!

How important is a very toned core?

If there is too much tone, it can be an obstacle to some movement, having a ‘responsive’ core is good for agility, mobility, flexibility and strength.

How do yoga postures and movement rate as a core strengthener?

Nearly all yoga postures (asana) strengthen the core, requiring full activation and engagement to hold a pose or transition from one pose to the next. Well known and obvious ‘core’ poses include plank, ‘boat’ pose, bridge pose and inversions like headstand.

What about the pelvic floor and diaphragm?

Many yoga poses develop awareness of the pelvic floor, and a responsive pelvic floor is important for giving birth, continence, elimination, etc. Again, too much tone can be a hindrance, it’s more about being able to tighten up when needed and let go at the right time! In yoga practices, Apana, known is the ‘downward energy’ is related to the pelvic floor and is all about letting go and relaxation.

Yoga breathwork or pranayama is particularly good for developing a strong and responsive diaphragm, as it requires conscious working of the main muscle of breathing. Activating breathing techniques like kapalabhati (short sharp fast exhalations) require a lot of diaphragm and abdominal strength to sustain for even a minute or two…. and each time our diaphragm moves, our pelvic floor echoes that movement.

Pranayama practices change our mental state, either calming us or energising us depending on the specific practice.

So with yoga we get a strong and responsive midsection from which to move and breathe freely and we can change our mental state through conscious breathing exercises. What’s not to like??

Sources:

Doug Keller Our Dynamic Core (Workshop 2021)

Jason Crandell 5 Essential Ideas for Healthy Core (Yogaland Podcast 2023)

Jenni Rawlings Core stability (Blog 2024)