Strengthen Your Core
Now that you have learned how to activate and engage your core, it’s time to learn to control and strengthen it!
A strong and well-coordinated core is an essential foundation for any exercise or activity you want to do whether it is walking for exercise, running, outdoor adventuring or sports. Be sure to make time in your day for at least 5-10 minutes of core work to keep your movement healthy and protect you from developing pain or the escalation of any symptoms you are managing currently when you’re being active.
See the exercises below or watch the videos where I walk you through them. These exercises are in order by challenge level. Master the easier ones first before working on the more challenging ones.
These exercises are not supposed to be painful. If it hurts, check your form and core engagement. If it still hurts after checking your form and core engagement, then stop and work on the easier exercises for a few days before trying the one that bothered you again.
Stack your hips and shoulders so you are balancing on the bony points (Red and Blue).
Keep your ankles together (yellow) as you lift up your top knee as shown just to hip height (green).
Do not let your hips or low back roll backwards
Perform up to 30 reps.
Alternating Leg Lowering Exercise
This exercise challenges the deep abdominals, the multifidus where your mid back meets your low back and the counterbalance of the upper back stabilizers to your abdominals so you don’t get pulled into a forward flexed posture.
Bridge Series
This exercise works on hip and low back rotation, side to side, front to back stability and strength.
Start by getting onto your hands and knees.
Line up your shoulders and knees so they are directly on top of your hands and knees.
Set your upper body core: Push through your hands, lift through your chest and tuck your chin.
Exhale to set your lower body core.
Slide one leg back, keeping your toe planted. Push through the front of the hip of the extended leg to make sure your hips are level. Exhale to set your core again if necessary.
Raise the opposite arm. Keep your shoulder down and back away from your ears. Recheck your neck, head, rib, and pelvis position. Exhale again to set the core.
Lift the planted toe off the ground to hip height. Recheck your neck, head, rib, and pelvis position. Exhale again to set the core.
Hold for 3 to 5 seconds.
Repeat on the other side.
Do 3-5 rounds on each side