Whether you’re pushing a grocery cart or putting on shoes, you use your core to accomplish a lot of everyday activities. It also affects your balance, posture, and stability.
Contrary to popular belief, your core doesn’t just include your abdominal muscles. It also consists of muscles in your back and around your pelvis.
Your core, or trunk, includes your:
- Erector spinae: The erector spinae is a group of three back muscles that extend up your trunk. It helps you stand up straight after bending over, as well as bend sideways and rotate your head.
- Rectus abdominis: When you bend forward, you use an abdominal muscle called the rectus abdominis. It’s sometimes called the “six pack” muscle.
- Obliques: Your internal oblique and external oblique help you rotate or bend your trunk.
- Transverse abdominis: The transverse abdominis, which wraps around the front and side of your trunk, stabilizes your pelvis.
- Multifidus: The multifidus in your back supports your spine.
