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“Engage.”
It’s one of the most common cues you’ll hear in Pilates and barre classes. It’s also one of the most misunderstood.
Engage what?
How much?
And what if you think you’re engaging—but nothing feels different?
In this first installment of Behind the Cue, I want to slow the word engage down and give it context. Not as a command, but as information. And I want to do that through a familiar exercise: the half curl (or crunch).
This is an exercise many people have done hundreds of times. And yet, for many bodies—especially those with a history of back pain—it’s an exercise that can feel confusing, ineffective, or even threatening.
So let’s take it apart thoughtfully.
As teachers, we often use “engage” as shorthand. It’s efficient. It keeps class moving. But efficiency can come at the cost of clarity.
For clients, engage can mean:
Brace
Grip
Flatten
Hold your breath
Try harder
None of those interpretations are what we’re actually aiming for.
When I use the cue engage in the context of a half curl, what I’m really referring to is the participation of the transverse abdominis—the deepest layer of the abdominal wall.
And participation is very different from tension.
The transverse abdominis wraps around the torso like a wide belt or corset. Unlike the rectus abdominis (the muscle we associate with “six-pack abs”), the TA doesn’t create visible movement. Its job is support, pressure regulation, and stability.
It plays a major role in:
Supporting the lumbar spine
Managing intra-abdominal pressure
Assisting with spinal flexion and control
Coordinating with breath
The TA doesn’t respond well to force.
It responds to timing, breath, and intention.
Which is why so many people miss it.
The half curl is deceptively simple.
You’re lying on your back.
Knees bent.
Feet grounded.
Head and shoulders lift just enough to bring the ribs toward the pelvis.
It’s not a big movement—and that’s precisely why it’s useful.
In a well-executed half curl:
The movement is small
The spine flexes gently
The abdominal wall responds reflexively
The TA contributes without being overpowered by momentum
When done with breath awareness, the half curl becomes a conversation between the nervous system, the abdominal wall, and the spine.
Here’s where engage becomes clearer.
The transverse abdominis has a strong relationship with exhalation. When you exhale fully, the rib cage naturally moves inward and downward. This creates an environment where the TA can respond efficiently.
Not because you told it to—but because the conditions are right.
When I cue engagement during a half curl, I’m often asking for:
A long, complete exhale
A sense of narrowing around the waist
A feeling of support rather than flattening
Many people are shocked by how different the exercise feels when they prioritize the exhale.
Suddenly:
The neck works less
The lower back feels supported
The movement feels lighter but stronger
That’s not coincidence. That’s physiology.
Let’s be clear about what we’re not trying to do.
Engage does not mean:
Pull your belly button aggressively to your spine
Flatten your back into the mat
Lock your ribs down
Hold your breath
Create rigidity
These strategies often recruit surface muscles and bypass the deeper system entirely. For people with back pain histories, they can increase fear and tension rather than confidence.
Engagement should feel supportive, not restrictive.
If you’ve ever been told to “engage your core” and felt unsure whether you were doing it right—you’re not alone.
And if you’ve experienced back pain, that confusion can turn into fear quickly.
Here’s something important to know:
Your body already knows how to engage your transverse abdominis.
What it often needs is:
Time
Breath
Permission
A manageable range of motion
You don’t need to force engagement. You need to create the conditions where it can happen naturally.
The half curl, when taught thoughtfully, does exactly that.
As teachers, we have a responsibility to remember that cues are not instructions—they’re translations.
When we say engage without context, we’re assuming:
The client knows which muscle
They know how it should feel
They feel safe enough to try
That’s a lot to assume.
Adding specificity—such as tying engagement to the exhale—gives clients something actionable without overwhelming them with anatomy.
It also shifts the tone from command to collaboration.
This is where nuance matters.
There are moments—especially for clients early in their return to movement—where asking for engagement can feel like pressure.
In those cases, it may be more effective to cue:
Breath
Weight of the body
Ease of movement
Range rather than effort
Engagement is not a prerequisite for movement.
Sometimes, movement is what allows engagement to reappear.
Behind the Cue exists because words matter.
A single word can:
Create confidence
Create confusion
Invite curiosity
Or shut someone down entirely
When we unpack cues like engage, we give people agency. We help them understand what their body is being asked to do—and why.
That understanding is especially important for people navigating pain histories, fear, or a return to exercise after time away.
At its core, engagement is not about effort.
It’s about trust.
Trust that your breath can support you.
Trust that small movements matter.
Trust that your body is capable of responding when it’s ready.
In the half curl, engagement isn’t something you impose.
It’s something you allow to happen.
And that distinction—between forcing and listening—is where real strength begins.