It is a large part of the body that lies deep inside, out of sight and perhaps out of mind: your abdominal core. A new and rapidly developing area of medicine focuses on abdominal core health, including how people can incorporate it into a healthy lifestyle and how to address complex medical problems that arise when the core is compromised. Dr. Charlotte Horne, a metabolic and abdominal wall reconstructive surgeon at Mayo Clinic, explains what abdominal core health is, how to protect it and risk factors for problems that may require surgery.