To wrap or not to wrap (your core). That is the question! If you’ve taken a class with us at Pilates Club, you know that we’re all about the core warp. WTF is it? How do you do it? When do you use it? OH WE WILL TEACH YOU EVERYTHING + HOW TO DO IT ON YOUR MICROFORMER!

WTF IS A CORE WRAP: 

The Core Wrap is THE BEST way to engage your core. It’s a cue that we use at Pilates Club to teach you how to engage ALL of your core muscles simultaneously. Only feel planks in your low back or shoulders? THE CORE WRAP IS FOR YOU. 

If you’ve taken a fitness class ever in your life, you’ve probably heard your instructor scream at you over and over again “pull your belly button to your spine”. That’s a fine cue, but it doesn’t teach you how to engage the entirety of your core. Instead, it only focuses on the front. So that’s why we came up with the warp!

HERE’S A LITTLE MORE INFO ON YOUR CORE. Your core unit is made up of MULTIPLE muscles. Really, your core is like a box. The front wall of the box is made up of your Rectus Abdominis (six pack muscle) + Transverse Abdominis (big corset muscle) and Internal + External Obliques (rotation + anti-rotation muscles) . The bottom of the box is your Pelvic Floor (sex + peeing muscle). The top of the box is your Diaphragm (breathing muscle) + the back wall of the box is your Multifidus (spine stability muscle) *YES, your back is part of your core!* All of these muscles work together as a team in order to control the pressure in your core + keep it evenly distributed as you move through life. Why should you wrap? Because it will help you find MUCH better engagement of your core + keep your spine rigid when you need to. 

OKAY, OKAY enough information about anatomy. Let’s get into how to wrap! We will  break it down for you short + sweet.

HOW TO CORE WRAP: Take a big breath in + fill your belly with air. THEN, exhale through your mouth making a  LOUD SHHHH sound. While you are exhaling, think about wrapping the muscles of your core around your body starting at your ribs *sides* + eventually wrapping fully to your belly button. VISUAL: It’s like you’re wearing a corset and tightening it as you exhale. *WE DO NOT RECOMMEND CORSETS PLEASE NEVER WEAR THEM*  Now, here’s where things get wild! While you’re wrapping your core, ALSO pull your pelvic floor UP + IN. Yes, like a kegel. 

There’s a lot to master, so start practicing it while laying on your back! Do 3 rounds of 15 core wraps + your core will be burning. Once you’ve mastered it on your back, it’s time to start adding it into your workouts!

WHEN TO CORE WRAP: 

WALKING AROUND IN LIFE: No core wrap needed! Make sure to breathe down deep into your belly, instead of breathing shallow through your chest. 

CORE: Anytime you’re doing core exercises, wrap + KEEP THE WRAP the entire time you’re doing the exercise. While you’re in the exercise, breathe through your chest INSTEAD of breathing through your belly. Why? Because when you’re doing exercises on the microformer like planks, twisted core work, + crunches you’re placing your core under a lot of load/tension. If you take a big belly breath + let the core wrap go, the pressure in your core will get all F*CKED UP. This will result in the pressure blowing out + placing a lot of tension on the connective tissue in the front of your core (HELLO DIASTASIS RECTI).  

Lost the wrap mid-exercise. NO BIG DEAL. Come out of it for a second. RESET. RE-WRAP. GET BACK INTO IT. 

ARMS: Wrap as you exhale during the hardest part of the arm exercise + breathe through your belly on the inhale. The only exception is OVERHEAD WORK *anytime your arms are overhead* In overhead arm work, you’ve gotta keep your spine SUPER RIGID so you don’t blow out through your core. In overhead arm work, keep the wrap the whole time. 

LEGS: Wrap + unwrap baby! In lunges for example, inhale through your belly on the way down. THEN, exhale and wrap your core on press to the top! In heavy legs, the wrap comes as you exhale to press against the tension on your Microformer. 

PEWWWW, that was a lot! Want to learn more about the wrap? Check out our paid site for more! We will teach you everything you need to know. 

Want your very own Microformer? Use our code PILATESCLUB at checkout for $100 off your order!

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