Probably not where you think !
Breathwork ; learning to breathe correctly to create stabilisation to build strong foundations to progress !
Ever begun that fitness program to be struck down with injury every time you get so far ?
Here is the reason why !
The diaphragm contracts and pushes down into the abdominal cavity (imagine a piston in a cylinder), which combined with the resistance created by the pelvic floor, and an eccentric contraction of the entire abdominal wall, increases the pressure in front of the spine. This allows the spinal extensor muscles to partially ‘switch off’.
Without proper diaphragm contraction the increased IAP ( Intra Abdominal Pressure ) will not reach all the way down to the lower lumbar spine, where the loading is most prominent.
The diaphragm is the key component to core stability. The diaphragm has to contract first and then the abdominal wall and not the other way around. A too early or too strong contraction of the abdominal wall prevents the diaphragm from descending properly and is therefore counterproductive in stabilising the spine.
We have to stop treating the core as a hollow tube and learn how to pressurise the “centre” of the tube instead of just tensing the walls.
The activity of the diaphragm during stabilisation varies greatly amongst individuals, which supports clinical evidence that individuals with limited capability to contract the diaphragm for stabilisation have a higher risk of developing back-pain. The simultaneous activation of the diaphragm’s dual functions is the key to proper core stabilisation.
Once mastered, progress will be achieved more easily and sustained !