Day 265- Oblique Pull Ups on Ball

This exercise uses the circular movement of the legs to create engagement in the oblique abdominals.

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a large physioball.  Start by bearing weight on your hands with your shins on the large ball.  Inhale into the back of your ribs and then exhale as you draw your knees to your right armpit, then pass the knees underneath you and then point the knees at the left armpit, and finally inhale as you lengthen them long behind you.  Repeat 6 times in one direction and then reverse.

Things to think about

As you are making the circles with your knees, be sure that you are pointing the crown of your head towards the ground.  This will allow your spine to be the longest that it can be.

Make sure that your shoulders are stabile and connected to your back.  This will help maintain the connection of the ribcage to the pelvis as you rotate.

Day 257- Plank

This exercise is a classic core exercise that is also pretty trendy right now. 

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start in Quadruped position with your hands directly beneath your shoulders and your knees directly beneath your hips.  Inhale to prepare and then exhale as you reach one leg on the floor beneath you and curl your toes underneath so that the foot can bear weight.  Inhale in this position and then exhale as you reach the other leg long beneath you.  Hold this plank for ten breaths, and if your feel really strong try to hold it for twenty five breaths.

Things to think about

The breath in this exercise is what will keep the static position moving.  No matter how much you shake or shiver, be sure that you are breathing.  Inhale and Exhale is a great mantra for the plank.

Like I said in yesterday’s post.  Length, Length, Length, and more and more length.  How long is your spine?  Can you make it longer in the plank?

Day 146- Double Toe Taps to Side with Continued Abdominal Curl

This exercise is an oblique variation of the double toe taps.  The slight rotation of the knees guarantees a challenge to rotational forces in the oblique abdominals.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your back with your legs in a tabletop position and with your hands clasped like a hammock behind your head.  Inhale into the back of the ribs and then exhale as you narrow the ribcage, and press the ribcage into the ground to lift the head, neck, and shoulders.  Inhale here as you point your knees to the right side of the body, and then exhale as you tap the toes on the ground continuing to point the toes to the side.  Then inhale as you lift the knees back to a tabletop position and then rotate the knees to point to the left side of the body.  Exhale as you repeat the exercise on the other side.  Continue alternating as your repeat 8-10 times alternating sides. 

Things to think about

If you have osteoporosis you can do this exercise with your head, neck, and shoulders on the ground.  You can also do this exercise with your pelvis on a soft ball to increase the challenge.

When you are rotating the knees to one side it is important that the pelvis stays still.  Often one hip likes to hike to the ribcage, or the pelvis likes to roll to one side or the other.  Part of the pelvis stability work occurs when a body is able to rotate the legs without affecting the pelvis.

Day 127- Oblique Abdominal Curls

This exercise will continue increasing the abdominal connection as well as articulating the spine through rotation and flexion.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your back with your hands clasped at the base of your skull, your knees bent, and your feet flat on the mat.  Inhale into the back of the ribcage and exhale as you begin reaching the right elbow, arm, and shoulder toward the lift hip, thigh, and knee.  Inhale at the top and exhale as you lower your body back to the beginning position.  Inhale into the back of the ribs and exhale as you repeat this movement on the opposite side.  Repeat 5-10 times alternating sides.

Things to think about

You should not do this exercise if you have osteoporosis.

This is exercise is so much more than reaching your elbow to the opposite knee.  If we reach just the elbow to the opposite knee, then we are not integrating the core into the movement.  This exercise is about lifting one side of the upper body and moving it to the opposite side of the lower body. 

The breath is key in this exercise, be sure that you are inhaling into the back of your ribcage and exhaling completely as you do this exercise.

Day 118- Toe Taps from Table Top Double Leg on Slomo Ball

This exercise adds proprioceptive challenges to the double leg toe taps by placing the pelvis on an unstable base

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a soft ball.  Start by lying on your back with the soft ball underneath your pelvis.  Your legs should be in a tabletop position.  Inhale into the back of the ribs to prepare and then exhale as you squeeze your inner thighs together and tap both toes on the ground and then bring them back up to tabletop position.  Inhale in between movement and then exhale as you repeat.  Continue for 6-8 repetitions

Things to think about

The wobbly ball will make this exercise quite challenging for the lower abdominals.  Be sure that you are exhaling completely and maintaining awareness of your pelvic floor and lower abdominals

Day 105- Bent Knee Fallout Single Leg with Pelvis on Soft Ball

This exercise continues challenging the stability and strength of the pelvis by adding the proprioceptive challenge of the Soft Ball.  It can also encourage length in the muscles of the low spine.

To do this exercise you will need a mat and a soft ball.  Start by lying on your back with the soft ball under your pelvis.  Your knees should be bent and your feet should be planted into the ground.  Inhale to prepare and then exhale as you drop one knee out to the side, rolling onto the side of your foot.  Inhale as you bring that leg back to the center and exhale as you repeat this movement on the other side.  Alternate sides as you repeat this exercise 8-10 times.

Things to think about

The soft ball makes this exercise a little tricky.  If you drop your knee with out the opposing support of the pelvic floor and abdominals then you will roll right off the ball.  YIKES!  To prevent this using the breath and allowing the leg that drops to move completely independent of the pelvis is key.

It might be helpful to think of the opposing hip as an anchor connecting to large depths in the ocean. 

Imagine that your belly button is smiling and your tailbone is drawn towards your pubic bone.

Imagine the hips socket itself.  The ball of the femur bone is simply rolling on the smooth surface of the hip socket.

Day 104- Bent Knee Fallout Double leg Table Top

This exercise asks the body to disassociate the leg bones from the hip sockets in a symmetrical fashion

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your back with your legs in a tabletop position.  Inhale to prepare and then exhale as you open your legs to the side.  Inhale to return the legs back to the center and then repeat.  Complete this movement 8-10 times.

Things to think about:

Because this is a symmetrical movement the tendency to rotate the pelvis from side to side will be less.  However, it is still important to think about pelvic stability because while the pelvis may not rotate from side to side it could till forward or back.  When doing this exercise the pelvic floor and lower abdominals will keep the pelvis totally still.  It is important to think about the pubic bone and two Anterior Superior Illiac Spines (ASIS or headlights) on the same plane.  As your legs open you want to be sure that your pubic bone doesn’t rise higher than you ASIS or vice versa.

Day 103- Bent Knee Fallout Single Leg Table Top

This exercise continues our journey toward pelvic stability.  This time the tabletop position increases the difficulty of the exercise because it gives it a smaller base of support.

To do this exercise you will need a mat.  Start by lying on your back.  Your legs will be in a tabletop position with a ninety-degree angle at the hips and at the knees.  Inhale to prepare and then exhale as you engage your pelvic floor and lower abdominals and lower one leg out to the side.  Inhale to bring the leg back to the center and exhale as you lower the other leg out to the side.  Repeat this exercise alternating sides 6-8 times

Things to think about:

Pelvic stability and hip disassociation are key when doing this exercise.  As you are lowering your leg out to the side the tendency will be to allow the opposite leg to follow the hip.  It is important to think of the opposite hip like an anchor.  Only lower the leg as far as you can without moving the pelvis