Your Core Isn’t ‘Weak’—It’s Misfiring

Dr. Brent Garcia, DACM, L.Ac., LMT  •  April 19, 2025

Pain in your low back? Hips aching after every run? Before you blame your core for being weak, consider this: it’s probably misfiring, not missing.

Your core isn’t just abs—it’s a 360° powerhouse that relies on breath mechanics, muscle timing, and neuromuscular coordination. If your diaphragm isn’t syncing with your pelvic floor and deep stabilizers, your body recruits the wrong muscles for the job. Cue: pain, compensation, and burnout.

This isn’t about planks or sit-ups—it’s about neuromuscular patterning. Most of the clients I see with persistent hip or back pain are well versed in core exercises—but without the right activation, it’s like turning on a light switch that isn’t connected to anything.

Retraining the core means resetting the body’s defaults. We accomplish this with internventions that are designed to get the neuromuscular anatomy reengaged. The result? You move fluidly. You lift with ease. And that annoying twinge that shows up halfway through your run? It finally shuts up.

I work with clients to retrain their core systems—not instruction to “strengthen your core.” When the body fires correctly, it protects itself—and you perform better while training and, especially, life. Strong isn’t just about effort. It’s about precision.