Personal trainer says this is the No.1 mistake she sees in the gym

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When it comes to getting the safest and most efficient workout, form is key. And TODAY fitness contributor and personal trainer Stephanie Mansour says there’s one mistake that you’re likely making that is compromising your form.

“Not engaging your abs and specifically pulling the naval in toward the spine during all of your workouts is the No. 1 mistake I see people making at the gym,” she says.

And it isn’t only a problem during ab exercises.

“Whether you’re lifting weights or doing squats, performing a deadlift or doing walking lunges, not engaging the abs to support the low back and strengthen the core is the biggest mistake I see so many people making,” she says. “In fact, it used to drive me so crazy that I’d have to take time off from the gym so I’d stop looking at people working out! It’s an underrated cue as well because many people don’t know how to engage their abs during these exercises.”

The danger in not engaging your core properly

Why is engaging your core such a big deal? “It’s such a big mistake because for anyone who struggles with low back pain, poor posture, or being overly sore after workouts, some of this could be avoided if we knew how to engage the transverse abdominis, the deepest ab muscle” says Mansour.

In fact, engaging the core not only helps prevent pain and injury, but you can get more out of each exercise, making it a more effective workout.

“Instead of bending over and doing a deadlift without engaging your core, you could strengthen the front of your body (your abs) while working the back of your body (your hamstrings and back.) During bicep curls or other standing arm exercises, instead of just using the arms for the workout you could use your core, too. Tilting the pelvis by engaging the abs helps to support your low back during these types of movements.”

How to correct this mistake

Engaging your core properly takes practice. The good news is it’s an easy fix. Mansour offers up a simple visual to help you engage your core from any position:

• Standing: “I recommend acting like someone is punching you in the stomach when you’re standing during exercises,” she says. ‘In a lunge, squat or upper-body exercises, pretend like I’m standing in front of you and punching you in the stomach. You’d brace yourself and engage your core, essentially slightly tilting your pelvis to do so.”
• Plank: “If you’re in a plank, or doing a deadlift or pushup, pretend like there’s fire on the ground and you’re trying to pull your belly button away from the fire, you’ll engage your abs” says Mansour.
• Lying down: “If you’re on your back doing core exercises, pretend like you’re zipping into a tight pair of pants to really engage the deepest ab muscle, the horizontal strip that runs below your belly button and above your pubic bone,” says Mansour.

Try this exercise to train your core to engage

The pelvic tilt is a super simple movement that can help you train your body to engage the core.

“Practice the pelvic tilt before your workout to ensure you’re able to engage your abs no matter what direction your body is moving in,” says Mansour. “Whether you’re jumping, squatting, shuffling laterally, bending down, moving side to side, in a plank or on your back, you’ll be able to recreate the pelvic tilt exercise during your workout!”