The Core Connection - How to Engage Your Core in Every Exercise You Do - Core Strength Part 4

You’re learning the right techniques, building smart habits, and avoiding the common pitfalls - now it’s time to unlock one of the most powerful tools in your training:

Core engagement in everything you do.

Because here’s the truth:

Core strength isn’t just built during planks and dead bugs. It’s built in every rep of every movement - if you know how to switch it on.

What Does “Engaging Your Core” Actually Mean?

It’s not about sucking your belly in.

And it’s not about tensing your abs the whole time like you’re waiting for a punch.

True core engagement is about bracing - creating internal pressure that stabilises your spine and connects your upper and lower body.

Think of it like tightening a cylinder around your midsection to support you during movement.

The Bracing Technique (Do This Before Every Rep)

Try this now, standing tall:

1. Inhale deeply through your nose, letting your belly expand - not your chest.

2. Brace your core like you’re about to lift something heavy. It should feel firm - not tense or tight.

3. Maintain that tension as you exhale slowly.

4. Keep that subtle engagement while you move - whether you’re squatting, pressing, or walking.

Now you’re training with a switched-on core.

Core Activation in Real-Life Exercises

Let’s look at some key movements and how your core should be working during each one:

Squats

Goal: Prevent forward collapse and protect the lower back.

Core Action:

• Brace hard before you descend

• Maintain a strong, upright torso

• Use your core to drive back up—not just your legs

Push-Ups

Goal: Maintain a straight line from shoulders to heels

Core Action:

• Tuck your pelvis slightly (avoid sagging hips)

• Brace as if holding a plank

• Squeeze glutes and keep tension through the midsection throughout

Deadlifts

Goal: Transfer power from the ground without rounding the back.

Core Action:

• Inhale and brace before lifting

• Imagine your torso as a solid block—no movement through the spine

• Reset your brace between reps

Running or Walking

Goal: Stay upright, efficient, and balanced

Core Action:

• Keep your ribs stacked over your hips

• Use a soft brace while breathing naturally

• Don’t overstride—your core should control your posture, not your arms or neck

Train Smart, Not Just Hard

When your core is engaged properly, everything improves:

• Your posture holds under pressure

• You lift heavier, more safely

• You reduce your risk of injury

• You move with more control, power, and efficiency

Try This: “Core Check-In” Warm-Up (3 Minutes)

Use this before any workout to fire up your core:

1. 90:90 Breathing – 5 deep breaths

2. Dead Bug – 3 x 30 seconds

3. Plank Walkouts – x10

The Dead Bug

The Plank Walk Out

Coming Up Next:

Part 5 – Beyond the Mat: How Core Strength Impacts Your Everyday Life

From carrying the shopping to chasing the bairns - your core is behind it all. In the next post, we’ll explore how core strength helps outside the gym.

Want to put this into action?

👉 Join the Free 7-Day Core Challenge and start applying these techniques in your own workouts.

Mind Core Fitness

Strong core. Strong life.