Understanding Your Core

When most people think “core,” they picture abs—but the core is so much more than that. It includes every muscle from your shoulders down to your hips, all working together to support posture, movement, and stability.

A strong core is essential for balance, efficient movement, and injury prevention.

To build (or rebuild) true core strength, you need a combination of:

• Spinal stabilization

• Extensor chain endurance (your back muscles supporting you for long periods)

• Shoulder strength and endurance

• Pelvic floor and deep abdominal strength

• Coordination—your core muscles must work together, not in isolation

Key Abdominal Core Muscles to Know: 

Rectus Abdominis

Often called “the abs,” these muscles flex the spine bringing your ribs towards your hips when contracted—think crunches. They’re important, but overemphasizing them can lead to imbalances or forward-flexed posture.

External & Internal Obliques

These muscles manage rotation and side-bending. Balanced oblique strength helps stabilize the ribcage and pelvis.

Transverse Abdominis (TA)

Your deepest abdominal layer. It acts like a built-in weight belt for your spine and plays a major role in stabilizing your pelvis. It also works closely with the pelvic floor—when the TA is weak, pelvic floor function often suffers.

What Comes Next?

Understanding the layers of your core is just the beginning. Your ability to stay strong, stable, and pain-free also depends on the muscles in your back and hips—and even the connective tissues that support them.

In our post called The Back, Hip, and IT Band Connection — How They Support Your Core, we’ll take a closer look at the spinal stabilizers, hip muscles, and the IT band to show how they all work together to create a truly functional core.