Introduction:
(1) This post has been developed by the women's and men's health physiotherapy team at Oxford University Hospitals, please follow the exercises in this video as guided by your physiotherapist. Our contact details are provided at the end of the post should you have any questions regarding these exercises. This post includes a series of exercises designed to strengthen the deep abdominal muscles, but firstly we're going to recap how we can effectively contract the deep.
(2) abdominal muscles. Your starting position will be determined by the exercise that you're about to perform, it may involve you being on your back, on your side, or resting on your hands and knees. For the purpose of this recap Natalie is going to stay on her back, additionally you may wish to place a towel underneath your head if you're lying on your back or lying on your side.
(3) Now we're going to have a look at engaging those deep tummy muscles which sit just below the belly button, we're going to take a breath in through the nose and on the breath out we're going to draw those tummy muscles down towards the spine, I'm going to hold that contraction. Throughout all of our exercises you may wish to practice this a few times before moving on to the exercises in this post,
(4) whichever exercise you're performing it is really important to continue breathing throughout. All exercises should be completed within comfort so please stop if you encounter any discomfort. Your physiotherapist will be able to advise you on an appropriate number of repetitions and sets to complete which suits your ability. Our first exercise is called the hip twist.
Hip twist:
- starting on your back with your knees bent and nice and relaxed through the shoulders, ribs and through your pelvis we're going to slowly engage through those deep tummy muscles then when you're ready you're going to take one leg, I'm going to drop it slowly out towards the floor as far as you can without the opposite hip lifting, keeping tummy engaged. We're then going to bring the knee back in towards the starting position
- and at this point you may wish to actually relax those tummy muscles before re-engaging and transferring over onto the other side, so again the other leg comes out and slowly back in, with the option of relaxing those tummy muscles again, changing over slowly drawing back up, relaxing the tummy muscles if you want to, re-engaging and then transferring over onto the other side. We're now going to try an exercise called one leg stretch,
One leg stretch:
(1) again starting on your back with knees bent nice and soft through the shoulders, ribs and pelvis, okay engage those deep tummy muscles drawing down towards the spine and then we're slowly going to extend one leg, sliding the heel out along the floor as far as we can without any movement through the pelvis, keeping tummy muscles engaged, we're then going to draw the leg back up towards the starting position.
(2) As before you may wish to relax the tummy muscles then draw them back into contraction before transferring over to the other side, extending that leg all the way out, sliding it back up, keeping engaged through the tummy and relax do it once more on each side stretching all the way out and slowly back up again good, and then transferring over and back up once more.
Shoulder bridge:
(1) This next exercise is the shoulder bridge, it's a lovely exercise for core and glute strength and spinal mobility. Starting on your back with knees bent we're actually going to start by engaging those deep tummy muscles and then tilting the pelvis forwards so that we can slowly curl our way up off the floor, so pushing through our heels to lift the hips up into the air we're.
(2) trying to find a nice long line from our knees all the way down to our shoulders and then on the return back down. We're going to drop through the ribs first then bit by bit through the spine, roll ourselves down towards the floor once we reach the floor we relax those tummy muscles and then when you're ready again we engage through the tummy and it can tilt the pelvis, rolling our.
(3) way back up into the air trying to keep as I said a nice long line from the knees to the shoulders and each hip at the same height on both sides, dropping through the ribs and curling our way down back to the floor. Let's now move on to the clam, this next exercise we're actually going.
Clam:
- to be on our side, so what you're going to do is you're going to bend your knees, keeping your heels in line with your bottom and a nice straight position through your back. Using your uppermost arm in front of you for a bit of support we're actually going to engage tummy muscles in this position too, so engage the tummy drawing those muscles back towards the spine
- then holding that position as we float the top leg up into the air, we come as high as we can without the pelvis rolling backwards and then we're going to slowly close back down again, good, relax the tummy muscles if you need to and then re-engage and we're going to come back up again, nice and slowly and back down, good. Once more engage the tummy muscles back in if you've relaxed, coming back up and slowly lowering down. Lastly let's try arm lifts in four point kneeling,
Arm lifts:
(1) we're now going to come onto our hands and knees. Resting in this lovely flat back position, to find that position we're going to think about arching the back all the way up to the ceiling and slowly sinking ourselves down towards the floor and then finding a nice comfortable medium position between those two extremes which should be this lovely flat back position. I want to hold that throughout the exercise, next we're going to think about drawing those
(2) deep tummy muscles up towards the spine whilst keeping that lovely flat back. From here we're going to float one arm up in front of us as far as comfortable, around shoulder height is the aim and then slowly lowering that back, down you may wish to relax the tummy muscles in between, then re-engage and we're going to lift up the other side again, up in front nice and slowly, relaxing the muscles in between then re-engaging, lovely and the few things to think about in this
(3) position is making sure that flat back stays and we're not twisting as we transfer our weight side to side. We want to make sure those tummy muscles are engaged throughout the movement as well and we keep our elbows lovely and soft, we don't lock them out. If you encounter any issues or have any questions please don't hesitate to contact the department and ask to speak to your physio.
Ab Strengthening: Level 1:
| Exercise | Description | Sets | Repetitions | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Pelvic Tilt | Lie on your back with knees bent. Tighten your abdominal muscles, pushing your lower back into the floor. Hold for a few seconds and release. | 2-3 | 10-15 | Focus on controlled movement. |
| 2. Supine Leg Lifts | Lie on your back, legs straight. Lift one leg a few inches off the ground, then lower it back down. Alternate legs. | 2-3 | 10-12 per leg | Keep your lower back pressed into the floor. |
| 3. Bent Knee Fallouts | Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat. Slowly lower one knee to the side, then bring it back to the center. Alternate sides. | 2-3 | 12-15 per side | Control the movement to engage the core. |
| 4. Plank | Start in a forearm plank position, keeping your body in a straight line from head to heels. Hold for as long as possible. | 2-3 | 20-30 seconds | Engage your core and avoid letting your hips sag. |
| 5. Seated Russian Twists | Sit on the floor with knees bent, lean back slightly, and rotate your torso from side to side. You can hold a light weight for added resistance. | 2-3 | 15-20 twists per side | Keep your back straight and engage your obliques. |
| 6. Bird Dog | Start on hands and knees. Extend one arm forward and the opposite leg back, then switch sides. | 2-3 | 10-12 per side | Focus on maintaining a stable core. |
Ab Strengthening: Level 1 FAQS:
1. What is a simple yet powerful stomach strengthening workout appropriate for Level 1?
Answer: The plank exercise is a exceptional preference. Start by means of keeping a immediately line from head to heels even as resting on your forearms and feet, attractive your middle muscle mass.
2. How can one perform a right take a seat-up for belly strength at Level 1?
Answer: Lie on your lower back with knees bent, feet flat on the ground. Place your hands at the back of your head, and slowly elevate your top frame towards your knees, enticing your core. Lower back down with manipulate.
3. What is a beginner-pleasant exercise to target the obliques in Level 1 belly schooling?
Answer: Side plank is exquisite for indirect engagement. Lie to your facet, prop your self up for your forearm, and lift your hips, developing a instantly line from head to heels.
4. How can someone efficaciously have interaction the decrease abdominal muscle mass in Level 1 physical games?
Answer: Perform leg raises via lying to your again, maintaining your legs immediately, and lifting them toward the ceiling. Lower them backtrack without letting your lower again elevate off the floor.
5. What is a low-impact belly workout suitable for Level 1 that still blessings posture?*
Answer: The fowl-canine exercise is right. Start to your arms and knees, amplify one arm and the alternative leg simultaneously, retaining a directly line. Alternate sides whilst keeping your center tight.