What Is the Powerhouse?
Thursday, August 13th, 2009
By Deborah Slade, APOGEE Pilates Instructor
If you’ve taken even a few Pilates classes, you probably know the cues by heart: “Work from the inside out.” “Scoop your abdominals in and up.” “Draw your navel into your spine.” And while your body is doing its best to find that all-important Pilates “powerhouse” the instructor keeps mentioning, your mind may be wondering, “What exactly am I looking for?”
Joseph Pilates was a visionary in myriad ways. But, perhaps the most profound and revolutionary was his contention that the core postural muscles were responsible for keeping the body balanced and providing essential support for the spine. In other words, the body’s center is a “powerhouse” because it’s the place from which all movement emanates—both anatomically and physically.
Many people assume the powerhouse is just the abdominal muscles. But, it is much more than that. It also includes the muscles of the lower back, diaphragm and pelvic floor for strength, the spinal nerves for energy, the blood vessels for oxygen, and the ligaments and tendons for stability. Within the powerhouse, two muscles in particular play a significant role in the body’s stability and function—the deepest of the abdominals, or transverse abdominus, and the deepest of the back extensors, the multifidus. Working in concert, they ensure a stable and pliable core without which healthy posture and movement mechanics would be impossible. A strong center can also alleviate many problems associated with chronic back and neck pain, reduce the chance of injury and enhance one’s overall well being.
More than 31 million Americans suffer from chronic back problems. If you think of how you sit or stand, it should come as no surprise. We sink most of our weight into these powerhouse muscles, causing enormous strain on the lower back and promoting poor posture. In most people, these muscles are weak, which leaves the spine to fend for itself. Current science sheds further light as to why the spine needs muscular support. In 1990, research demonstrated that normal, everyday activities placed stresses on the spine five times greater than the strongest region could withstand before becoming injured. In other words, the spine is inherently fragile and cannot provide trunk stability on its own during even the most basic activities. Even more incredible, the spine of a competitive athlete, like a wrestler, can be stressed eight times what it is designed to tolerate!
So, the next time you hear “Work from your powerhouse”—be focused, get motivated…Go for it! By strengthening your physical center, you will strengthen your mind, your spirit and your life. Oh, and you’ll also have a toned belly, butt, back and inner thigh. Now how bad is that?
