Strong core muscles offer a number of benefits, including reduced risk of injury and better performance in sports. But just having the muscles isn't enough -- you must also learn to use them properly when you work out.
Keeping your abs pulled in as you exercise isn't a matter of flexing your spine as if you were doing a crunch. Instead, you use your abdominals to brace or stabilize your spine, maintaining proper alignment throughout the exercise.
Step 1
Imagine a string that runs along your spine and out the top of your head, drawing you upright. Slouching forward or hyperextending your back are the two most common mistakes in abdominal posture, and this imagery may be all you need to become more conscious of your abdominal muscles and use them to support yourself.
Step 2
Retract and depress your scapulae, or in other words, bring your shoulder blades down and back. This not only helps bring you into proper "chest up, shoulders down and back" posture, which automatically activates your abdominal muscles; it also forces your back muscles to activate in opposition to your abdominal muscles, further stabilizing your core.
Step 3
Practice sitting on an exercise ball, envisioning the string pulling your spine up through your head, and keeping your shoulder blades back and down. The ball's instability forces you to become more aware of your abdominals as they work to keep you stable.
Step 4
Flex your lower back muscles, hyperextending your back slightly past its normal curve. Squeeze your abs, flattening your back, and relax and let your spine fall naturally into its normal, neutral position. This is the appropriate position for almost every lying, standing or sitting exercise; going through the extremes helps you become more aware of the proper position and how much you must contract your abdominals to maintain it.
Step 5
Think of drawing your belly button in toward your spine. Your back should remain in neutral position, but this cue may help you remember to squeeze your abs, instead of letting them -- and, thus, your lower back -- sag forward or down.
Tips and Warnings
- Activating your abdominal muscles lends extra stability to almost every exercise, but it's particularly important for bent-over exercises, such as straight-leg deadlifts or bent-over rows, and exercises that require you to extend your entire body, such as pushups or front planks.
Things You'll Need
- Exercise ball
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