Exercise 1
Starting position:
Lie on your back with your knees bent to 90 degrees. Feet resting flat on the floor.
There should be a small arch under the lumbar spine (lower quarter of the back).
Place your right hand just inside of the pelvis at a level midway between your pubic bone and stomach button.
Rest your left hand flat on your stomach, positioned level with the bottom of your rib-cage.
Activity:
Suck your stomach towards your spine, while maintaining the neutral spine position. Your back should not flatten to the floor. This is called recruiting the core muscles.
Your hands should feel the stomach pull downwards under the right hand. No significant change should be felt with the left.
You should continue breathing and still be able to maintain the muscle contraction. Hold for 30 seconds.
Repeat three times.
If you feel a tensing of the stomach with the left hand, the upper abdomen rises or falls significantly, or you are holding your breath, the exercise is being performed incorrectly and needs to be restarted.
Tip: It is harder to achieve Level 1 if sit-ups or other significant dynamic abdominal work has been performed immediately beforehand e.g. avoid doing sit-ups immediately before a core stability session.
Exercise 2
This is a variation on Exercise 1.
Starting position:
Kneel on the floor in the four point kneeling position.
Activity:
Recruit the core muscles. The aim is to lift the lower abdomen (not the upper) towards the spine without losing the neutral position of the lower back.
