The “growl” is a powerful core strengthening exercise.
Why this matters:
In rare cases, I’ll program pelvic tilts into a client’s program. This is because when the pelvic tilt is conducted, it rotates the pelvis backwards. Which in some cases can be helpful. But if you have an anterior pelvic tilt and are also unable to tolerate forward bending, this can make the pain worse. But how can we help minimize the rotation of the pelvis when we move around?
When you “growl” or do a deep hearty laugh, you can feel your abdominal muscles contract. They contract without creating too much motion. In fact, this increased pressure without motion actually results in more stability.
We are so used to “sucking” or “drawing in” the belly button that trying to create a tense core with activity is hard.
Action step:
Place your hands on your stomach (either in standing or laying) and growl. What happens to your abdomen? Does it tense up?
If not, try laughing really hard. See how it feels on those abs.
This is the tension you should be creating in your core when doing activity.
