So much emphasis is placed on the “core” these days, most people who exercise regularly today can tell you that by using their abdominal muscles, they will support their backs in exercise. Pressed further, most people understand the relationship of good posture and that it is also necessary for good back health. But how does a muscle group above the waist support a narrow column of bony vertebra that stack on top of one another? In the Pilates technique we use Joe Pilates’ term, the “powerhouse.” The Powerhouse includes the abdominal, inner thigh, and hamstring muscles, a band of strength that wraps around the body like a cummerbund. This term represents the muscle groups that keep the pelvis and spine in good alignment.
When a sapling needs support to grow straight, it is common to tie rope or wires from the trunk to stakes in the ground to help it grow up. The muscles that attach to the pelvis assist in much the same way. However in our bodies we posses a set of muscles that pull our pelvis up in the front, up in the back, down in the front and down in the back. It is the balance of these muscles that are important in keeping us upright and unencumbered.
The rectus abdominus (six pack muscles), oppose the Rectus femoris (a quadricep), the Sartorius (a skinny muscle that begins at the top of the outside of our thigh and attaches at the end of the inner thigh), and the Tensor fasciae latae with their attachments on the crest of the hip. Behind us the erector spinae (back muscles) and quadratus laborum pull up in opposition to the hamstrings.
Once those guide wires are in good placement, the trunk of that tree intrinsically has strength from the structure the bark gives it and the cells of xylem and phloem that give the tree its rings. We have a ring of muscle that wraps from either side of the spine to the front of our bodies called the transversus abdominus and then we have our own built in cross wires called obliques. The external obliques start from the midline of the various rib attachments to insert more laterally in the pelvis; and the internal obliques attach from the more lateral aspects of the ribs to insert down medially at the pelvis. These muscles weave together on each side of our body in such a way that not only allow us to rotate around, but also hold the spine erect when tension is placed on each end of these muscles. As discussed this tension comes from the guide wires that pull the pelvis up and down in the front and back of the body: a powerhouse of support that affects all of the parts of the body both above and below.
So, when you are aware of the abdominal muscles working to support the back do remind yourself to lengthen your body when utilizing that abdominal strength. Your spine and your waistline will thank you.
Kara Wily owns and teaches at her studio Kara Wily Pilates in Los Angeles, California. She was interviewed on our show for her DVD, Pilates Slim and Tone done for Anchor Bay Entertainment in 2008. Her new line of products, Tesseractive Beginner Mat Cards are the first in a series that will educate people about which muscles they are employing when they do the Pilates exercises. They are available on https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ASP/home.asp?studioid=6889 beginning April 18th.
