FITNESS : Core Stability

The next step

Having learned to recruit the TA and MF muscles correctly in various positions, which can take anything from one session to one month or more, it is time to move onto simple core stability exercises. These exercises may also involve the oblique muscles, other lumbar muscles and gluteals to assist the TA and MF in maintaining the lumbar spine in a stable neutral position.

Lying leg lift stabilisation

• Lying on your back with your knees bent
• Ensure your back is in neutral
• Place your hands on your hips for biofeedback
• Breathe in and relax
• Breathe out and, as you do so, perform the abdominal hollowing or zipping-up action
• Once you have established some TA tension, slowly slide your left leg out along the floor until it is straight and then slide it back
• Your back should not have moved, and your pelvis should not have tilted as you performed this action
• If your back or pelvis moved, you did not achieve the correct stability
• Repeat for the other side 10 times each leg

Variations include the same exercise with knee lifts up and knee drops out to the side. Again, the aim is to retain a stable lumbar spine in the neutral position as the legs move.

The waiter's bow

• Stand up with good posture, knees soft, lumbar spine in neutral, head up and shoulders back and relaxed
• Breathe in and relax
• Breathe out and as you do so perform the abdominal hollowing action
• Keeping the tension, slowly lean forward from the hips 20° and stop, like a waiter's bow, keeping your back completely straight and long as you lean
• Hold the lean position for 10 seconds - you will feel your TA and MF supporting you if you hold the correct position
• Keeping the tension and the alignment, slowly return to your start position
• Repeat 10 times

These exercises are two examples of learning how to keep the spine in neutral, using slow and controlled static contractions of the trunk stabiliser muscles. Notice how technique is vital and the aim is to build up the time you are able to maintain good stability.

Getting functional

The ultimate aim of core stability training is to ensure the deep trunk muscles are working correctly to control the lumbar spine during dynamic movements, e.g. lifting a heavy box or participating in any sport.

Therefore, it is important that once you have achieved proficiency of the simple core exercises, you must progress on to achieving stability during more functional movements. Try the following two exercises.

The lunge

• Stand with feet hip width apart in front of a mirror
• Ensure your lumbar spine is in neutral and your back is tall with your shoulders back and head up
• Lunge forward and bend your knee only halfway down
• Ensure that your front knee is in line with your toes and your back has remained upright with your lumbar spine in neutral and your hips level
• Push back up, initiating the movement by pushing down into the floor with your front foot
• The force from your legs should bring you back up quickly and easily to your start position
• Your back should have remained totally still and your hips level as you performed the push back

Many people wrongly initiate the up movement by pulling their heads and shoulders back first. This extends the lumbar spine, losing the neutral position. Others have problems keeping their pelvis level while performing the lunge. You must learn to use your deep trunk and gluteal muscles to hold your lumbar spine in neutral and pelvis level as you perform the movement up and down. The movement should only come from the leg muscles.

The Press up

• Start from your knees, even if this means it is easy for your upper body, to learn the correct technique
• Your hands should be slightly wider than your shoulders and your head must be in front of your hands
• Lift your hips so that there is a straight line from your knees through your pelvis and lower back, through your shoulders and all the way to your head
• Ensure your lumbar spine is in neutral, using a mirror or a partner/trainer to help you
• To maintain a neutral spine and a straight back during the exercise, the trunk muscles must provide active support
• Slowly lower down, bending your arms all the way to the floor. Keep your head still with your neck straight relative to your back
• Push up, initiating the movement by pressing down into the floor with your hands

Your back should remain straight and your lumbar spine in neutral throughout the exercise.

These two exercises enable you to learn core stability while performing dynamic movements. By reducing the resistance i.e. doing only half lunges and knee press ups, your are able to focus on the trunk stabilisers and achieving perfect technique rather than working the major muscle groups. The whole essence of core stability training is quality of movement and relaxation. The more you practice, the easier it becomes until you can control your lumbar stability at all times and during complex movements.