Why Your Back Might Be Working Harder Than Your Core

And the simple reset that changes everything.

It's one of the most common things I see on the reformer. A client is working through a challenging exercise, and instead of feeling it in their core, they feel it in their back.

That's exactly what happened in class this week.

A client was moving through some of the more advanced exercises when she mentioned she was feeling the strain in her lower back rather than her abdominals. Rather than pushing through, we paused. We looked at the full picture — her alignment, her breathing, and crucially, whether her abdominals were actually engaging at all.

Then we made a simple but powerful adjustment.

"Harder isn't always better. When something feels off, your body has already found a workaround."

workaround."

Back to Basics — On Purpose

We scaled back to single leg lifts, then moved into double tabletop with hands pressing gently into the thighs. The difference was immediate. She could finally feel that deep abdominal connection she'd been missing — the one that's supposed to be doing all the work.

This is something I come back to again and again with clients: going back to basics isn't a step backwards. It's the most direct route to doing the advanced work properly.

Try This at Home

Find Your Core Connection in 3 Steps

You don't need a reformer for this. Lie on your back and bring your legs up to tabletop — hips and knees at roughly 90 degrees. Press your hands gently into your thighs and feel your abdominals switch on to meet that resistance.

Back feeling it? Bring your legs a little closer to your chest — you don't need a perfect 90/90. Even a small shift can relieve the strain and help you find the right connection.

Want to fire things up more? Rest your feet on a wall, the edge of a chair, or the side of your bed. Having that surface to lightly press into activates the lower abdominals even further — and this is where your transverse abdominis really kicks in.

Know Your Body

What Is the Transversus Abdominis — and Why Does It Matter?

The transversus abdominis (TA) is your deepest abdominal muscle. Think of it as your body's natural corset, wrapping around your spine and pelvis beneath the surface. Unlike the muscles you can see, the TA works silently to stabilise your spine before you even move. When it's not firing properly, other muscles step in to compensate — and more often than not, that's your lower back. By pressing your hands into your thighs or your feet into a surface, you're giving your nervous system a cue to find and activate

that deep connection. Simple, but incredibly effective.

One Small Tweak, A Big Shift

What struck me most in that session wasn't the exercise modification itself — it was the moment my client felt the difference. That click of awareness, when the right muscles finally switch on, is one of my favourite things to witness as an instructor.

If you've ever walked away from a session feeling it more in your back than your core, this is worth exploring. It doesn't mean you'redoing something wrong — it just means there's a connection to build. And once you find it, everything changes.

Feeling this in your back during class? Let's look at it together.

Book a Session here.