GO Exercise

Now that we are familiar with the anatomy of our abdominal muscles, we can talk with some understanding about how exercise can strengthen our muscles and make us healthier and feel better.

Many years ago sit-ups were the way people exercise their abdominal muscles. These are done by lying down with the back flat on the floor. Usually the knees are kept bent so to reduce stress on the muscles of the back and spine. Then the upper and lower vertebrae are lifted off the floor until everything above the buttocks is elevated off the floor. However, this exercise was found to be risky because of the high compressive load on the lumbar or lower spine. Nowadays, for the most part, sit-ups have been replaced by the “curl-up”, or crunch exercise.

Also known as the transverse abdominus, this is the deepest of the four main abdominal muscles, and it is the most crucial to lower back support. This is one dedicated muscle. It does not bend the spine, nor does it twist it or cause the spine to bend sideways. Its only action and purpose is to stabilize and support the lower back.

When you contract this muscle your waist tightens, your belly button pulls in, and the pelvis and back are stabilized.

The transverse abdominus is sometimes referred to as the “natural girdle.” It is certainly the most important single muscle when it comes to spinal stability and lower back health.

Found on the outer surface of the eight lowest ribs, on the side of the abdomen, the external oblique muscles help to stabilize and support the spine, as well as flex it. (Flexing the spine means to pull it forward.) The oblique muscles also rotate the trunk to the other side, like in twisting as well as bending the spine to the side.

Have you ever seen a really muscular abdomen? It kind of looks like six rounded protrusions, three on the left and three on the right, or like some people say, “a six-pack.” This is the rectus (straight in Latin) and abdominus, (the abdomen.) It has this name because it is the muscle that goes straight down the abdomen. This muscle is attached to the ribs as well as the pelvis and effects the moving forward of your body, like in a crunch. Together with the other core muscles the rectus abdominus keeps your spine stable and helps support your pelvis.

How familiar are we really with our very own abdominal wall? Everyone wants these mysterious “abs” stronger and shapely, but why?

First let’s talk about anatomy. Did you know there are four separate muscles that make up the abdominal wall? That’s right. The muscles of the abdominal area are called the rectus abdominus, the internal oblique, external oblique, and the transverse abdominus. There is a fifth muscle, the pyramidalis muscle, which is small and triangular in shape. It is low in the abdomen, located quite low and in front of the rectus abdominus.

These muscles work together to contain the internal organs, support the body (trunk), allow movement, and also cover and protect the internal organs.

The abdominal muscles also give support to the lower back. Weak abs can contribute to back pain.

These internal oblique muscles are found as the name implies, to the side and inside the abdomen.  Their job is to compress the contents of the abdomen, support and stabilize the spine, bend the spine forward, (flex), rotate the body to the same side, and also to cause the spine to bend to the side.

The internal oblique muscles can be considered “tonic” type muscles. This means that their primary role is to give support and stability, rather than to induce movement. Of course movement is an important, but nevertheless secondary role.

It is interesting to note that since the internal oblique muscles work to turn your body to the same side, and the external oblique muscles work to turn your body to the opposite side, so that the internal and external obliques on opposite sides of your body work together to turn in the same direction.