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Engaging your abdominals when lifting weights is one way to protect your back from injury. The same is true whether on a weight bench doing a chest press with free weights, doing Pilates rowing on the Reformer, or even when you lift a heavy laundry basket. Your abdominal muscles, and especially the transverses abdominus, act as a kind of girdle when you lift something with weight. It’s not the same contraction as when you do a ab curls or crunches. Rather it’s a slight engagement of the abdominal wall to brace and protect your spine.

Here are a few fitness tips for lifting correctly:

• Always start a lift by tightening your abdominals. Don’t wait until you’ve already lifted.
• Try to breathe! Exhaling on your exertion is important in lifting properly.
• Bracing your torso requires all the muscles of your trunk to work, not just abs. Think of how it feels when someone tries to push you over, and you contract muscles to keep yourself from being pushed.
• Pay attention to your back. If you feel even the slightest twinge, stop and lower the weight or try again with proper technique.

These fitness tips apply to all kinds of lifting in all kinds of situations. Sitting on a stability ball or lying on a mat, your abs are the key to an injury-free workout.