Most of us may have not heard before about the TVA muscle which is called ‘transverse abdominis’. It is one of the most important and essential muscles in a human body. Its function is to stabilize the lower portion of a human body i.e. core muscles, spine and lower back.

TVA & Its Functions In A Human Body

Many of us are not aware of the fact that it is because of the weak TVA that millions of people in the world are suffering from lower back pains. These pains, with the passage of time, become more severe and can lead to chronic lower back pain. So in order to keep these pains away from you, Ido Fishman has pointed out certain exercises which are highly efficient in preventing such pains.

TVA muscles are located horizontally into the deep layer of a human body where pelvis and ribsform part of abdominal muscles. When TVA muscles are developed in a human body then they in return create corset like muscle-shield around lumbar spine and several human organs. When TVA muscle is in motion, it flattens viscera and compresses the wall around abdominal area. In addition, it lends support to the internal organs of our body easing up the forced exhalation while expelling air out of human body. This muscle can be activated with the continuous movement of arms and legs. However, a non-fit body may sometimes feel muscles stretched which can be very painful while moving arms and legs. But if TVA muscle is strong then spine becomes strong and stable which in return prevents stretching. 

TVA Need To Be Strong & Not Ignored

Ido Fishman points out that the development of TVA muscle is very important. When TVA is not activated or is weak, then the abdominal wall can lead to disorientation of rotations of pelvis and abdominal wall. As a result, lordosis, which causes ‘inward curvature’, can affect the spine badly. The same condition can also be felt by women after their pregnancies or because of not doing any exercises to remain fit. It has been proven by worldwide medical scientists and researchers that weak TVA is the major cause of chronic and usual lower back pains. 

Things which can Activate TVA

Ido Fishman describes that since TVA is a muscle then it can be controlled in the sense that a person can self-activate itself. How this self-activation is done is by doing some specific exercises which can be done for improving and strengthening core stabilization. 

First method according to Ido Fishman is to do bracing which is done by simply holding and squeezing the abdomen tight. In this posture, the exerciser is advised not to move his body and even abdomen for achieving great results. One way to get this exercise done easily is to hold your breath and think that you are about to take a punch in your stomach. So what a normal person would do in this situation is hold his breath and squeeze his stomach as hard as he can to avoid the impact.

Second most effective method proven for activating TVA is through hallowing. Hallowing is slightly different than bracing. In the case of hallowing a person sucks air deep by squeezing his lungs. In this situation, the stomach completely goes in beneath the ribs. The next step is to push deep towards where the spine is located. Then the person should hold his breath in the posture at least for 8 to 12 seconds or as long as he can hold. This technique can be repeated several times on daily basis and even multiple times in a day for getting faster results. 

Both these exercises/methods are simple yet very effective. However, there are other quite popular exercises as well which can activate this muscle and produce same results as well. For instances, quite popularly known exercises are Captain’s Chair, Planks & Side Planks, Crunching, Sit Ups, Bicycling and Vertical Leg Crunches.

Conclusion

So with a little bit of daily exercise and applying simple techniques this very important muscle can be self-activated and strengthened. In addition, it helps a person getting rid of excessive fats as well. Most importantly, the office workers usually complain of lower abdominal pains and so activating this muscle is their best remedy.