Back pain: the trap of core workouts

Almost every client who comes to me with back pain has been told the same thing by their doctor: strengthen your core.

And to be fair, most of them tried. They looked for ab workouts on YouTube, some even downloaded 30-day programmes... and then they stopped, for various reasons. Mostly because they didn't notice any real effect on their pain, sometimes it even made things worse.

The thing is, their doctor's advice was not wrong. Core work genuinely is one of the better supported approaches for persistent low back pain. So what went wrong?

Two things, usually.

First: Ab workouts train the wrong muscles

When most people hear "core" they think of the 6-pack.

But the core is actually made up of various layers of muscles, and the 6-pack is just the most superficial one. Its job is to allow you to bend your torso forward.

The muscles that actually stabilise your spine sit underneath. For example the transverse, that looks like a corset around your waist; the multifidus, small muscles connecting each vertebra to the next; and the pelvic floor, which I have already spoken about a few months ago.

These stabilising muscles are not "movers". A teacher of mine calls them "mindfulness muscles" because their engagement is so subtle. If I contract my 6-pack muscle, you see me bend forward, but if I contract my transverse, you won't notice it. You can't train that with crunchs and sit-ups.

Second: The poison is in the dose

Crunches are not inherently bad or dangerous exercises. But they can be a bad choice if your back is already sensitive.

Best case scenario: you get a 6-pack but you still have back pain because your transverse still doesn't do its job at stabilising your spine.

All my clients who have back pain will tell you that I make their core work in various ways. But I never have them do any crunches.

If you have no idea how to engage your transverse, the prime stabilising muscle of your lower back, I would start there. Learn to engage this muscle on your yoga mat, and it'll be able to turn on on its own next time you need it.

Want my help? You can check my revamped website here and contact me there, or just reply to this email.

Much love,

Clem

Yoga with Clem

La Madeleine, France

For more info, resources and ways to work with me, please have a look at my website.