24 Feb Anatomy of a core

When we hear the term ‘core’ in relation to the midsection of the body, most of us immediately think of the abs. Being the most superficial and therefore easiest to see it’s a very common misconception that it is the ONLY core muscle. BUT did you know that the entire core structure is made up of more than EIGHT muscles!
One of the most important of these is the TRANSVERSE ABDOMINUS which is the deepest muscle and spans the entirety of the space below the rib cage and above the hips right around to the spine.

The main function of this muscle is to hold in the various organs and intestines which lie just below it. The best way to think of or picture this muscle is that it is LITERALLY your body’s own internal weight belt or corset. Just like a belt will hold your pants up, the transverse abdominus holds your organs up.

This muscle is often ignored during exercise and if it becomes too weak during heavy lifting, it may result in strains and sprains around the spine or the formation of a hernia and even disc bulges in the spine in extreme cases.

Therefore, if you’re getting frustrated by doing hundreds of sit ups and still not seeing that flat stomach that all of us are looking to have right in time for summer, see an exercise professional about the best way to target this amazing muscle and get that flat stomach in no time!