Core Exercises

As promised, today I am showing and describing a few comprehensive core body exercises that allow the muscles in your pelvis, lower back, hips and abdomen to work in harmony rather than working in isolation (abdominals, for example). As with all exercises, please start slowly and progress only as your strength allows. Recommended reps are goals, not starting levels.

Abdominal Bracing

This is the main technique used during core exercise training. It refers to the contraction of the abdominal muscles. To correctly brace, you should lift your ribcage up out of your waist and attempt to pull your navel back in toward your spine and brace as if for a punch to the stomach. This action primarily recruits transverse abdominus. Be careful not to hold your breath – you should be able to breathe evenly while bracing. It takes practice.

Remember to keep breathing throughout the exercises. You may want to try exhaling upon exertion and inhaling during relaxation, but as long as you are not holding your breath you will be fine.

The first exercise is the Plank.

1. Lie face down on mat resting on the forearms, palms flat or fists resting on the floor.

The Plank. Notice the spinal alignment (straight line through ears, shoulders and hips)

2. Push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows.

3. Keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels. Think natural spinal alignment (straight line between ears, shoulders and hips).

4. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominals to prevent your rear end from sticking up in the air.

5. Hold for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat for 2-5 reps. Rest between repetitions.

An alternative version is the Side Plank.

Side Plank. Starting position.

1. Use a mat or carpet for this exercise, especially if this is your first time attempting to do it.
2. Lie on your left side.
3. Prop yourself on your left elbow. Place your left forearm in front of you onto the mat. Position yourself so that only the forearm of your left hand plus the left side of your hips and legs are in contact with the floor.

Side Plank. Finishing position.

4. Set your left leg directly atop the other or place the top (left) leg in front of the bottom (right) one. If you place them atop one another then the inside curvatures of your feet should touch in a way that they mirror each other.
5. Maintain good core body posture and balance by first using your right hand as leverage on the mat as you lift up onto your left elbow and outside of your left foot only. Position your other (right) hand either across your body, on your right hip or behind your head.
6. Inhale and contract your abdominal muscles, pulling them inward. As you get more comfortable and better balanced in this exercise, you can contract your butt muscles also.
7. Exhale as you lift upwards using your left forearm and left foot. Hold for 5-30 seconds. Do 2-5 repetitions. Repeat the side plank exercise on your right side.

The second exercise is the Reverse Sit-up (or Sit-Back)

Reverse Sit-up (or Sit-back). Starting position.

1. Sit up straight with hips and knees bent, feet flat on the floor and the pelvis positioned in neutral (between 12 and 6 o’clock). Fold your arms across the chest and tighten your stomach muscles.

2. Slowly lean back, maintaining the neutral pelvis and pulling tall through your trunk. Try to keep that perfect spinal alignment (straight line between ears, shoulders and hips).

Reverse Sit-up (or Sit-back) Second position.

3. If feet come off the ground or you lose the neutral pelvis, STOP at that point and slowly come back up into sitting position. If you can, hold the bottom position for 5-10 seconds. Try to do 5-15 repetitions.

This exercise can be made easier by: Holding your arms straight out in front of you.

This exercise can be made more difficult by: Placing hands behind the head

The third exercise is the Bird Dog:

1. Kneel on the floor with hands firmly placed about shoulder width apart.

Bird Dog

2. Brace the abdominals, and at first, practice lifting one hand and the opposite knee just clear of the floor while balancing on the other hand and knee. Half an inch will do until you get the idea of it.
3. When you’re ready to do the complete exercise, point the arm out straight in front and extend the opposite leg to the rear (see diagram). Look out over your fingers.
4. Hold for 10 seconds then return to hands and knees on ground position.
5. Starting out, try 5 repeats on alternate hands and knees — 10 repetitions in all. Add additional sets of 10 exercises up to 3 sets of 10.

Once you are comfortable with this, try making circles or squares with your hand and foot, while maintaining your balanced and braced torso.

Remember, 5-10 minutes, 2-3 times a week (every other day is ok) is all you really need to strengthen and maintain a strong core. Good luck!

Next Blog:  Core Values Part Three: A few of my favorite alternative exercises for the core. Do you know why they call it a “Roman Chair”?