The "Core" & Pelvic Floor Muscles

Healthcare providers and fitness trainers often recommend core muscle exercises in an effort to reinforce the spine and make daily activities easier and more efficient. Many people have difficulty learning how to use their core muscles in a coordinated way. The following resources are designed to help people learn to activate and coordinate their core muscles efficiently.

Here is a printable resource designed to help people understand the functions of the core muscles:

• The Core

The following video can also be helpful for learning how to activate and coordinate the core:

How to Activate the Core Muscles Correctly (Michelle Kenway):

If you find this video helpful, you may be interested in watching some of Michelle's other videos. Here is a link to her YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPQS5BOA_GLQKCc07ZCOjJg

While many people think of exercises like crunches and planks when they think of "core exercises", there are many different ways of training the core muscles, including breathing exercises, tai chi, yoga, strengthening exercises for the arms and legs, and balance exercises. Once a person learns how to correctly activate and coordinate their core muscles, healthy engagement of the core muscles can become a component of virtually any type of exercise or home/workplace activity.

The Pelvic Floor Muscles

Many people think of the "core" muscles as their abdominal muscles - however, the "core" (the midsection of the body) actually includes many muscles, which all have important roles to play in terms of supporting movement.

Many people do not think of the diaphragm or the pelvic floor muscles when they think of their "core" muscles. However, learning how to integrate appropriate activation and relaxation of these muscles into core muscle exercise and everyday activities can be very helpful for people with chronic pain and/or bowel/bladder/sexual health concerns.

Here are some resources designed to help people get in touch with their pelvic floor muscles:

• Another printable resource: Meet Your Pelvic Floor

Videos by Physiotherapist Shelly Prosko:

• Pelvic Floor Awareness Meditation
• Belly Breathing
• Pelvic Diaphragmatic Breath 'Reverse Kegel'
• Toilet Meditation
• Cat & Cow with Belly Breathing & Pelvic Floor Awareness
• Pelvic Floor Physio Yoga Exercises

Please note that different people have very different levels of pelvic floor muscle tension and coordination. Before trying any of the exercises demonstrated in the above videos, we recommend being assessed by a pelvic floor physiotherapist.