Core Activation: contracting muscles of the inner/deep torso

As shown in the previous picture our pelvic floor muscles (lying the bottom of your pelvic bones and surrounding the openings to your bladder, colon, and for women vagina), the deepest abdominal muscle (transversus abdominis), and the multifidus muscles of the spine usually naturally contract when we breath out when this happens the pelvic floor muscles lift.  Our diaphragm does the opposite – it lowers during its contraction and does this as we breath in.

A lady on hands and knees in the starting position of a spinal mobility exercise.
Picture2

When your finger pads are resting on the front of your lower abdomen just inside your pelvic bones you should not feel a bulge push up or it means that you are clenching your surface muscles.

Don’t let your spine move.

Imagine that your pelvic floor is the floor/bottom of an elevator in a building, and as you breath out think of it lifting up inside you toward your diaphragm the distance of 2 floors/stories in a 5 story building.  At the same time or separately think of your belly button smiling (getting wider and lifting). Take a break for a breath and then repeat – 4x, then take a longer break for a few breaths and do 4 more repetitions.