What does it mean to train your “core”?

What really is the “core”?

I’m not sure I’ve ever had a singular, comprehensive definition that satisfies all my criteria. I’ve always been somewhat fascinated by the way we use language to describe bodily functions or experiences. I think most of us intuitively feel like the core is the center. The parts that surround the spine or center of your body might be a good place to start. There’s a lot of different tissues sitting around that area, though. Are we just talking muscles? Are you in the camp that believes fasical sling patterns are relevant? What about the pelvic region? How far out past the pelvis do you include in the term “core”?

But maybe I’m hypercritical of the linguistics we use in the clinic around our bodies. We all intuitively feel like we have a sense of what the core is, but has

When I hear a client, coach, or fitness instructor yell out, “make sure to press your low back into the floor”, or “Make sure to brace your core before you life.” I would be willing to bet these euphemisms have been around for decades, if not centuries.