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.
