Some of the most recent comments from patients have been along the lines of “I feel so disconnected. “Those muscles are completely turned off.” “They’ve been so stretched out they can’t work anymore.”

To be clear, let’s not make this blog to be about diastasis recti. There’s room and a platform for that topic in another blog or just ask me! The research is constantly changing around, in good ways of course.

The core canister isn’t just the 6 pack abs we all may have dreamed of at some point in life. Think of the core canister like a house. The roof is the diaphragm, the floor is the pelvic floor, the walls in the front are not only the rectus abdominus (6 pack muscles), but the internal and external obliques, and the transverse abdominis (the deepest, core like muscle the wraps around). Don’t forget about the back of the back, the paraspinals. One of my favorite muscles that work together in perfect harmony is the diaphragm and the pelvic bowl muscles. Whenever you take a deep 360 degree breath the diaphragm goes down, along with the pelvic floor muscles and this stimulates the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is a strong communicator to the nervous system, more specifically the parasympathetic nervous system responsible for rest and digest, recover, and stimulates your sex drive. If you cannot pull a deep breath in or you breathe into the shoulders/neck, this stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, that is responsible for freeze, fight, or flight. These muscles all are supposed to work together in synch in order to support pressure changes and functional perform. But usually they grow out of synch at some point, definitely during pregnancy, causing havoc.

If you don’t take the time to engage the core properly, other muscles will take on the work. Think of it like a cycle: if there isn’t balance and synchrony in the core and breathing systems—muscles of the hip and back will start to tighten to compensate—-the glutes won’t want to work properly—the pelvic floor can become uncoordinated or weak or too tight—then stability is lost. And what happens when we take on too much in areas we can’t take it? We collapse, we burnout, we end up.. suffering.

Back pain, who’s got it? Probably everybody. If the front of the core doesn’t properly load and engage, the back muscles will power up and overwork. Depending on pelvic positioning, the back muscle can shorten making a tight muscle. Tight muscles don’t mean strong muscles!

Had a belly birth and feel numb at the scar tissue? During this procedure the doctor has to shift tissues and structure around to get baby safely out, and then stitch ya back up to heal properly. That scar tissue can sure cause issues if you feel disconnected to the muscles that surround it!

It takes time to build the awareness and connection. So move your body, but make it core! Use the feedback from one hand, by placing it on your belly right inside the hip and add a single arm task.

Some favorites cues are “imagine your hip bones are kissing together” or “feel the pubic bone zipping up to the belly button” or try adding a “shhhh” on your exhale/exertion or engagement.

Let me know your questions, don’t hesitate on reaching out.