Week Two of Shape Up Month
Dr. Shivani has teamed up with Personal Trainer Raj to go over some Core and Low back Strengthening Exercises
First of all what are your core and low back muscles?
Your core is a deep group of muscles that primarily support your torso stability and secondary assist movement. If you put your hand on your hips and then bear down, you should feel muscles activate under your hands. This is part of the core muscles. All strength exercises need to start with making sure you have activated your core muscles.
Some of your low back muscles include the quadratus lumborum, glutes and hamstrings. These are essential for supporting and stabilising the spine.
From a chiropractic point of view strengthening these muscles increases your ability to do everyday activities with ease and avoiding injuries as well as improve your balance, stability and posture.
According to Raj the most common mistake people make at the gym when working out is not engaging the core. The core should be engaged through out the entire workout-whether you are squatting, deadlift, running etc.
Raj has gone through some of his go to exercises for core and lower back strengthening. These are nice and simple that you can do from home without any equipment.
Core Exercises
Dead bug- (Raj’s favorite)
Muscles worked: Rectus abdominis and obliques
Beginners:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent
- Engage your core-achieve this by tucking your pelvis into the floor so there is only a small gap between the low back and floor.
- Bring both knees up to 90 degrees and then place your hands on your knees
- Maintaining contact between low back and floor, brace your core, then slowly and simultaneously lower your right leg until your heel nearly touches floor and your left arm until your hand nearly touches floor overhead.
- Pause, then return to start and repeat on the opposite side. (That’s one rep).
- Aim for 10 reps on each side
Advance version:
- Lie on your back with your knees bent
- Engage your core-achieve this by tucking your pelvis into the floor so there is only a small gap between the low back and floor.
- This time bring your legs straight up in the air and arms straight behind.
- Maintaining contact between low back and floor, brace your core, then slowly and simultaneously bring opposite arm to opposite leg.
- Pause 3 seconds.
- Aim for 10 reps each side.
Take home message: keep your low back sunk on the ground.
Low back Exercise
Muscles worked: Quadratus lumborum, Glutes hamstrings and lower traps
- Lie on your stomach
- Lift chest off ground
- Focus on squeezing shoulder blades together at the same time as step 2.
- Hold for 3 seconds
- Repeat 10 times
Take home message: As most of us sit at desks all day squeezing the shoulder blades together while doing this exercise engages the lower traps therefore further helping posture.
To view the Q & A video click here and to follow the exercises mentioned today click here to watch.