Beyond the surface-level six-pack, your core’s true power lies deep within. The often-overlooked pelvic floor and TA muscles (a.k.a. your deep core) are the unsung heroes of core strength and function. Yet many of us don’t realize how vital these muscles are to our everyday lives until we find ourselves in a situation in which they’re compromised.
Whether you’re in the trenches of deep core dysfunction or just want to make sure you don’t end up there, we’ve got you covered on how your deep core operates, what circumstances leave it needing extra love, and how to build ironclad strength from the inside out.
- ABOUT OUR EXPERTS: Debbie Dy, P.T., D.P.T., is an orthopedic clinical specialist and a doctor of physical therapy at Fusion Wellness & Physical Therapy in Los Angeles. Hillary O’Connor, P.T., D.P.T., is a pelvic floor physical therapist based in Alexandria, Minnesota. Heather Jeffcoat, D.P.T., is a physical therapist and owner of Femina Physical Therapy.
The Deep Core Basics
If you’re not a pelvic floor physical therapist or haven’t experienced a deep-core injury before, you might not totally understand what this area of your midsection is. Put simply, the “deep core” is a group of muscles that stabilize your spine and consists of the diaphragm, the pelvic floor muscles, the transverse abdominis, and the multifidus muscles. “These are arranged in a cylinder with a top and a bottom,” explains Debbie Dy, P.T., D.P.T., Orthopedic Clinical Specialist and a Doctor of Physical Therapy at Fusion Wellness & Physical Therapy in Los Angeles. “The diaphragm sits at the top, the transverse abdominis wraps around the front and connects to the multifidi in the back, and the pelvic floor forms this lower portion of the cylinder.”
These muscles are vital for myriad everyday activities by contributing to balance, posture, and injury prevention. From standing up straight to hauling groceries to working out, your deep core provides underlying support through everything you do, according to Dy. It also contributes to bladder, bowel, and even sexual function. For example, your deep core muscles form a sort of internal sling, supporting your organs and helping prevent bladder leaks or accidents.
Read More: 4 Signs You Have A Weak Core
Maintaining deep core engagement throughout life is crucial. “Due to the important supportive action that these muscles have, weakness in this area can lead to neck, back, or hip pain, or pelvic floor issues such as urinary incontinence or pelvic organ prolapse,” explains Hillary O’Connor, P.T., D.P.T., a pelvic floor therapist based in Alexandria, Minnesota.
Though anyone can experience weakness or other issues with their deep core, it’s especially important that women are mindful of these muscles throughout and after pregnancy, as the natural postural changes that occur during pregnancy lengthen many of these muscles, O’Connor says. “The body creates new movement, breathing, and postural patterns during pregnancy that do not just go away in the postpartum period,” she explains. “These new patterns in the postpartum body remain there unless you retrain the body.”
Other scenarios in which someone might experience deep core issues include post-surgery (especially a procedure involving the uterus or bladder), as the result of an injury, and simple aging, shares O’Connor.
Not to mention, many exercisers neglect their deep core muscles out of a lack of awareness. These below-the-surface muscles don’t get as much attention in the fitness world as more visible ones, like the rectus abdominis muscles that contribute to a visible six-pack, O’Connor says. As a result, weakness and imbalances can develop in the deep core over time and ultimately undermine your strength and fitness performance. They may even lead to pain, discomfort, and issues related to incontinence and sexual health.
How To Strengthen Your Deep Core
If you’re not already deeply committed to strengthening your deep core muscles, these tried-and-true tips from physical therapists will help you work on building and balancing them.
1. Upgrade your breathing
That’s right, breathing (properly) has a profound impact on your deep core. Diaphragmatic breathing, specifically, engages the deep core muscles since it requires coordination with your pelvic floor, transverse abdominis, and multifidus muscles (located deep in your back and posterior neck regions).
Here’s how to do it: “When you inhale, allow your ribcage to expand in a 360-degree fashion and keep your core engaged,” O’Connor explains. Then, maintain that core engagement as you exhale and bring the ribcage back in. Because of the connections between your diaphragm, core muscles, and pelvic floor, training this breathing pattern supports healthy coordination and function of those hard-to-see muscles.
One helpful way to practice this is to lay on your belly over a large exercise ball (like a Swiss ball) and take some deep breaths in that position. “With each exhale, imagine yourself conforming to the ball,” O’Connor says. “With each inhale, feel the air move between your shoulder blades and down your back.” This back-body focus helps you really tune into the expansion in your ribcage and pelvis required for effective diaphragmatic breath and healthy deep core function.
Though breathing might not be as exciting as cool-looking gym moves, your breath is the foundation of everything you do. Get this part right and the exercises we’ll get to in a moment will be that much more effective.
2. Practice yoga
If you’re not already a yogi, the concept of picking up this practice might seem foreign to you (especially if your idea of a movement routine revolves around the weight room). However, yoga is an excellent way to engage your core and increase body awareness. One of O’Connor’s favorite ways to highlight your deep core during your yoga practice is to imagine drawing your belly button gently towards your spine as you flow. “This subtle engagement of your deep core will enhance stability, balance, and overall body awareness in your yoga practice,” she says.
Beyond that, certain yoga poses are particularly powerful in firing up the deep core. These include planks, chaturanga (your yogi pushup), boat pose, and warrior III, O’Connor adds. Incorporate these poses into your flows for extra core benefits and pay extra attention to your deep core with that belly button cue when holding them.
3. Switch up your core routine
Many popular core exercises, like crunches, focus predominantly on the superficial muscles of your midsection, so incorporating more deep core-loving moves is a good idea for most exercisers. One of the most basic: the plank.
Planks are a fundamental core exercise that targets the entire core, including deep muscles like the transverse abdominis and the pelvic floor. For those not pregnant or postpartum (who have an increased risk for diastasis recti), planks are a great way to build endurance in the deep core muscles and promote better posture and stability in everyday movements and during exercise, explains O’Connor. They also strengthen the connection between the upper and lower body.
Start with a basic forearm plank: Lie face down, then prop yourself up on your forearms and toes, keeping your body in a straight line from head to heels. Engage your core by pulling your belly button towards your spine. To increase the challenge, try side planks, which add an element of lateral stability, or planks with leg lifts or shoulder taps to engage more muscle groups. Build up to holding each plank variation for 30 to 60 seconds.
From there, incorporate bird dogs, deadbugs, and pelvic tilts into your routine two to three times per week to ramp up your focus on your deep core, O’Connor recommends.
4. Engage in functional movements
Functional movements, like squats, deadlifts, and lunges, require the coordination of multiple muscle groups, including the deep core. “These exercises mimic everyday movements and help build strength and stability in a way that directly translates to real-life activities,” notes Dy. “They also ensure that the deep core muscles are activated in dynamic situations, improving overall functional strength.” As such, experts recommend building your workout routine around these types of exercises. Otherwise, your deep core muscles may end up left out. (After all, you don’t need them when you’re just banging out reps of machine leg curls!)
Read More: How To Adjust Your Strength Training Game As You Age
“The ideal program should generally consist of functional movements,” explains Heather Jeffcoat, D.P.T., owner of Femina Physical Therapy. “However, intermittently checking your isolated muscle strength by doing unilateral machine work will give you an idea of the symmetry (or asymmetry) in your body and help you refocus your strength training program to fit your specific needs.” So, don’t be afraid to hop on those weight machines here and there to track your progress; just don’t build your entire gym session around them.
5. Practice Proper Bracing When Lifting
Of course, how you move through functional exercises like squats and lunges makes a difference in whether they benefit or work against your deep core health.
Dy recommends maintaining a neutral spine and engaging your core throughout any functional exercise you do. “For example, during a squat, keep your chest lifted and shoulders back, and imagine bracing your core as if preparing to take a punch,” she says. “This ensures that your deep core muscles actively support your spine throughout the movement.”
O’Connor also recommends exhaling on the active part of functional exercises (like when you push up from the bottom of a squat) to maintain healthy diaphragmatic breathing and engagement throughout the deep core and pelvic floor.