Page 72 - LIN_December 2022

Health Fitness
&
PAULA ALLIA, PT, DHSc, MTC, OCS

THE ROLE OF THE

TRANSVERSE ABDOMINIS

AS A MAJOR CORE MUSCLE

ach and every day, muscles and joints are It is the deepest anterior muscle, so it has a major
needed to provide the ability to perform stabilizing role in protecting the organs, spine,
Epurposeful movements. These movements and pelvis. It is the coordination of the abdominal,
can be simple, like rolling in bed, or more comlpex, pelvic floor, diaphragm, and back muscles that
like performing high level athletics. What are the keeps the trunk and all of its contents more safe.
differences between muscles and why is one used Activating the TA plays a key role in keeping the
over the other? body supported properly. When it contracts around
When it comes to muscles, there are multiple both sides, since the muscles’ fibers run more hori-
layers in many areas of the body. Some muscles zontally, it flattens the abdomen, giving support to
contract and provide more mobility, while others the spine and securing the organs.
provide more stability.
Superficial muscles commonly are longer or Learning to activate this muscle can be tricky,
wider muscles and when they contract they are because it is very deep. More superficial is the rectus
more ballistic in nature, providing support for abdominis (often referred to as the “6 pack muscle”),
purposeful movements. Deeper muscles tend to the external and internal obliques, plus any fat that
be the closest to the bones. They are the muscles is superficial to the organs.
that provide more stability to the body. Creating a To contract the TA, the best way is to lay down
stable platform for the body allows for more pro- on the back and place your fingers just on the inside
tection against injury while helping to guide the body more closely of the front pelvis. Do not perform any type of sit up, as this will
for motion. Some muscles stabilize while other muscles perform the only guide you to be feeling the obliques and rectus abdominis. With
movement desired. palpation, think about drawing your navel in toward the spine. There
When discussing the core, it is often thought that it is the abdomi- should be no big pelvic or diaphragm movements with this activity.
nal area only. It is actually much more than that. The core consists It takes time to actually get the motion right. You will feel the tightness
of multiple pairs of muscles on either side of the body in the scapula, under your fingers. This is how you cognitively activate this muscle.
abdominal, back, and hips regions. These muscles, when firing prop- Focus on tightening the muscle while breathing normally. As you
erly, coordinate together to allow for activities to be performed in a practice this, it will get easier and you will realize that it indeed feels
safe manner. It is common when there is an injury to the back region, different from other abdominal exercises that you have done.
however, for the muscles not to fire properly. Once you're able to contract the TA tightly, moving one arm up and
The deeper muscles that stabilize commonly have altered firing down while contracting this can start to get the TA into its stabilizing
patterns, thus proper stabilization while performing an activity may
be altered. This occurrence over time will prove to be problematic. role as you move. Then, begin moving the leg while keeping the TA
For example, it has been documented repeatedly that the transverse contracted and stabilized.
abdominis (TA) in the abdominal area is active even before an activity is This is just the beginning of the TA journey. Getting it to work in
performed. There is a lag, or sometimes little contraction so the stable varied pelvic and back positions is extremely important. Combinations
platform is now not so stable. of movements with this muscle re-education will prompt the TA to
Inefficient transverse abdominis muscles that do not activate fire more naturally so that soon, you won't even have to think about it.
properly may lead to a multitude of problems in the spine and even in
the hip area. This muscle originates off of the ribs (as high as the 7th FOCUS AND PERSEVERE…
rib) and wraps around the front abdominal area down to the pubic TO YOUR HEALTH!
bone, then attaches to the center of the abdomen (at the linea alba).

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72 Life in Naples December 2022