25/01/2026
The Science of Core Bracing (A must read for everyone).
Why this one skill protects your spine (whether you train or not)
One of the beautiful things about being an in person coach is that I get to speak with and really listen to my clients every day.
They ask thoughtful, sometimes simple, sometimes surprisingly technical questions about their bodies and their training.
A lot of those conversations end up becoming topics like this, ideas I can translate into articles that I hope are both engaging and useful for every one of you reading this, whether you’re a regular gym goer or someone who just wants to move and feel better in everyday life.
Because not everything important about your body is a “fitness” skill.
Some things are just fundamental human skills.
And one of the most overlooked?
➡️Learning how to brace your core properly⬅️.
Your spine isn’t built for force by itself
Here’s something most people don’t realise:
Your lumbar spine alone isn’t that strong.
Without muscular support, it can buckle under surprisingly small loads. Research shows that a spine without surrounding muscle tension fails under relatively light weight.
Which means your back isn’t protected by bones alone.
It’s protected by muscle and pressure.
Your core muscles create the stability your skeleton doesn’t naturally have.
Enter: Intra abdominal pressure (IAP)
When you brace correctly, several systems work together:
• diaphragm
• abdominal wall
• obliques
• deep spinal stabilizers
• pelvic floor
Together they create intra abdominal pressure, pressure inside your torso.
Think of your trunk like a sealed cylinder.
When pressure increases inside that cylinder, it:
👉 stiffens the spine
👉 resists bending and collapsing
👉 improves force transfer
👉 reduces stress on discs and joints
It’s essentially your body’s natural weight belt.
The Coke can analogy 🥤
Picture an empty Coke can. ( it doesn’t have to be Coke either I’m not endorsed by them, yet!) 🤣
You can crush it easily. ✅
Now imagine that same can sealed and pressurized.
Suddenly it’s much harder to bend. ❌
Same material.
Same structure.
Just different internal pressure.
That’s exactly what bracing does to your torso.
Without pressure → unstable
With pressure → strong and resilient
Your muscles create that pressure.
Bracing vs “sucking in”
A common mistake is pulling the belly button inward (often called hollowing).
But that actually:
❌ decreases pressure
❌ reduces stability
❌ limits strength
Bracing is different.
Instead of pulling inward, you create 360° expansion and tension.
You’re not making yourself smaller.
You’re making yourself more stable.
Why this matters (even if you never touch weights)
You load your spine every day:
• picking up shopping bags
• carrying kids
• standing up
• sitting for long periods
• twisting and turning
• coughing or sneezing
Life itself creates spinal stress.
If you don’t brace well, passive tissues (ligaments, discs, joints) absorb that load.
Over time, that’s where many aches and injuries come from.
When you brace well, muscles take the load instead which is exactly what they’re designed to do. 🔑
What effective bracing actually feels like
Not:
❌ sucking in
❌ holding your breath
❌ max clenching
Instead:
✅ breathe into the belly and ribs
✅ feel expansion front, sides, and back
✅ lightly tighten like you’re about to be hit!
✅ keep breathing normally
Think firm, not rigid.
About 30–40% effort is plenty for everyday life.
The takeaway
Your core isn’t meant to just look strong.
It’s meant to create pressure and protect your spine.
Bracing:
• increases intra abdominal pressure
• improves stability
• reduces injury risk
• improves strength transfer
• makes everyday movement easier
Whether you train or not, this is a foundational skill worth practicing.
Because sometimes the smallest habits make the biggest difference in how your body feels long term.
Share this post with someone that could benefit from hearing this 🫡
