Research shows that the bones, cartilage, discs, and ligaments are much healthier and less likely to develop painful pathologies when the core muscles are symmetrically strong, flexible, well coordinated, and perform with excellent endurance.

When looking at muscle anatomy, it's important to understand two things: The fiber direction of the muscle is the direction that the muscle contracts, and every single muscle in our body begins and ends in a white gristly tendon. The red meaty part of the muscle is where the contractile tissue is, and it never attaches directly to bone.

Multifidus

Overlapping short straps that control the individual bones

Rectus

Abdominus

All 3 groups of muscles are equally important. To lose the strength of any one muscle would weaken the support and control of the spine. This can result in excessive stress on the bones and connective tissue which in turn leads to inflammation and pathology. These muscles work together like a guy wire system on a baby tree. Each wire has a tension of support that is equal and opposite to the other guy wires. To lose one of those ropes would cause the tree to list.