Using small controlled movements to stabilise the torso is an essential precursor to safe, effective abdominal exercise

Pull your tummy button towards your back bone without moving the spine" - now how many times will you have heard that said in a Fitness League exercise class? This very small and subtle movement, taken in all sorts of positions, standing, lying, and sitting strengthens your transverse abdominis, the deepest layer of abdominal muscle, which plays a particularly important part in stabilising the spine. Another way of describing the action is to imagine that you have a band of muscle between your hip bones which you tighten. Nowadays the muscle tends not to be used so much because we spend a lot of time sitting down. We move around so little that our flexibility decreases and this puts a strain on the lower back.

A strong transversus abdominus, however, acts like a corset, taking the pressure off the back and pulling all the other abdominal muscles into place. Mrs Bagot Stack knew that, which is why she made ‘central control’ - the starting point for her abdominal exercise technique with its focus on the training of good posture. In her words it was "the steady centre made by the lower back and the abdomen being drawn strongly towards each other".

After years of providing aerobics classes in which the emphasis has been on acquiring high levels of cardio-vascular fitness through excessive movements of the legs and arms, the fitness industry is beginning to recognise the benefits of what they call ‘core stability’, with its focus on small controlled movements for stabilising the torso. While the importance of core training to improving posture and alignment has long been understood in particular by dancers, practitioners of Pilates, yoga, t’ai chi and the Fitness League, its value is now also being acknowledged as an essential and fundamental part of all physical activity including exercise and sport.

Some researchers on the topic have described the trunk as having an ‘inner unit’ surrounded by an ‘outer unit’. The inner unit includes the transverse abdominis, the diaphragm and the muscles of the pelvic floor. Effective functioning of this unit is considered essential in preventing back injury and ensuring optimal performance in physical activity. The ‘outer unit’ includes the other abdominal muscles as well as muscles of the back, pelvis and hip which working together contribute to the stabilisation of the pelvic girdle and spine as movement occurs.

Exercises to strengthen and tone the inner and outer core are an essential part of any Fitness League class. The movements to isolate and strengthen the transverse abdominis in particular are subtle, but once mastered and practiced regularly will help prevent back pain, improve posture and flatten stomachs!

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Author Notes:

Daryl Marples contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.fitness-equipment-101.com. An online guide to fitness equipment reviews, exercises and abdominal workouts