Core muscle question

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Alishia6606
Alishia6606 Posts: 140 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
How exactly do you "engage" or use your core muscles? I should know this by now but I don't. Are you supposed to suck them in or push them out?

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  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,874 Member
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    When your core is engaged, you are tight...you don't suck them in or push them out...your core is just tight.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    Tuck your clavicles in your back pocket.

    Take a deep breath and put your tongue on the roof of your mouth. You feel your core get tighter? Now squeeze to get it tighter and keep engaged.
  • Elise4270
    Elise4270 Posts: 8,375 Member
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    I started by doing core bracing. It is on an exhale and you tighten all your abdominal core muscles, this includes the lower abs that should be felt just to the inside of your pelvis.

    I was told to never to any exercise that pushes the abs out. Many people have such laxity that it'll worsen, like the traditional sit up. Not sure how sound that is.

    If you do a plank and bring your belly button in, you should feel the core engage.
  • Alishia6606
    Alishia6606 Posts: 140 Member
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    Hornsby wrote: »
    Tuck your clavicles in your back pocket.

    Take a deep breath and put your tongue on the roof of your mouth. You feel your core get tighter? Now squeeze to get it tighter and keep engaged.

    Wow. That one worked! Next question, how do you breathe doing this? Seems impossible!
  • Alishia6606
    Alishia6606 Posts: 140 Member
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    Elise4270 wrote: »
    I started by doing core bracing. It is on an exhale and you tighten all your abdominal core muscles, this includes the lower abs that should be felt just to the inside of your pelvis.

    I was told to never to any exercise that pushes the abs out. Many people have such laxity that it'll worsen, like the traditional sit up. Not sure how sound that is.

    If you do a plank and bring your belly button in, you should feel the core engage.

    I felt that one too. And it seems easier to breathe. :)

    Thank you! Every routine I've worked on just says "engage your core" but never said how.
  • SonyaCele
    SonyaCele Posts: 2,841 Member
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    brace yourself as if someone is gonna punch you in your stomach . I actually do my core engaging on a big inhale. you get better core strength with your lungs full, its bracing from the inside as well. On the inhale you brace and then do your crunch or whatever, exhale new breath and then repeat.

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