How to Activate Your Core: A Physical Therapist's Guide
Learn how to properly activate your deep core muscles to improve posture, reduce pain, and move more efficiently. Step-by-step guidance from a physical therapist.
If you've ever been told to "engage your core" but had no idea what that actually means, you're not alone. Many people compensate by tightening their stomach, holding their breath, or bracing too hard, which can actually make movement less efficient. Learning to activate your deep core is about creating stability that supports your entire body—not just strengthening your abs or doing back extensions.
Your core isn't just a group of abdominal muscles—it's part of a movement system that connects your breathing, spine, pelvis, hips, and shoulders. Every time you stand, walk, lift, or reach, these areas work together to create stability against gravity.
When one part of the system isn't contributing effectively, another part has to compensate. That's why simply doing more ab exercises doesn't always improve posture or reduce pain. Lasting change comes from improving how your entire body coordinates movement.
The “core” of your spine, for example, is the multifidus (yellow). It lines each individual level of the spine from the base of the skull to your sacrum. Individually, they extend and rotate. When they work as a group or as a system, they maintain the suspension and the fluidity of the spine. They provide the “lift” required to maintain your spine alignment against gravity.
Stability in the body starts with the spine and then extends out through the joints closest to it - the hips and the shoulders. From that stable platform, limbs can move and do all the fun things we like to do. When there is poor activation of these deep core muscles it is like driving around in a car without a shock and suspension system.
The goal isn't to create a stronger core in isolation. It's to create a movement system where your core, breathing, hips, and spine work together automatically.
Finding the deep core in the torso starts with the breath. When your diaphragm is relaxed and retracted in a complete exhale, the abdominals and the multifidus will turn on. Find out how to turn your multifidus and your deep abdominals back on by watching the videos below. Be sure to learn how to perform diaphragmatic breathing from the last post for the best results. Practice this in 2-5 minute blocks if you can! The more you practice, the faster your brain will learn!
Learning to activate your core is an important first step—but lasting results come from teaching your entire body to move efficiently.
In the Healthy Movement Reboot, you'll learn how your breathing, core, posture, hips, and shoulders work together to create strength, reduce unnecessary joint stress, and make movement feel easier.
Start your FREE trial today and build a healthier movement system from the inside out.
Find your core lying down. Practice this before getting out of bed in the morning or before going to sleep - or even if you just want to relax! This technique also helps to settle the nervous system and is like a “chill pill”.
Find your core in sitting. Practice this throughout your day especially when at your desk, in the car or surfing on your phone/tablet
