Hey, it’s Jennifer. Today I want to talk about bracing your core and how it’s about more than just flattening out your back when you’re in a hollow position, which is what a lot of us, including myself start out with when we’re working on ab strength. Let’s say you’re holding a hollow position on the floor, and your back starts arching up, that’s pretty good indicator that you’re getting fatigued, and you want to work on pushing that low back into the floor; that’s what we all hear all the time, which is great & that is strengthening your abs, so good start.
We also want to be able to engage our core when we’re in other positions other than a hollow. Let’s say you’re lifting your kid up this way, and you’ve got a little bit of an arch in your back to do that, you still want your core to be on. Or let’s say you’re getting some wet clothes out of the washer and putting them in a basket or into the dryer, you know, you’re doing this twisting motion, and you’re definitely kind of hinged in that position. We want to be able to embrace our core and a little bit of extension, straight up and down with some twisting, with some side bending, and of course, in that more traditional hollow position.
A couple exercises that I really liked for this are as follows; all you need is one weight or a bag full of heavy stuff.
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Goblet squats: holding the weight at your chest, and then making sure that your back stays still the whole way down. You can kind of see that I’ve got a little bit of extension or a little bit of arch in my back. So this would be great for lifting a kid up this way. You can make it even harder, holding the weight out in front of you. This is a great ab exercise that is a little bit sneaky because it looks like you’re doing legs.
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The other one I really like is a rainbow lift. You’re going to start with your weight down by one foot and go around the side all the way at the top and then down to the other side, getting some of that twisting and sideloading motion in there.
All right, give it a shot. Let us know what you think.
Here at Peak Endurance Performance & Physical Therapy we help active adults in the Madison Area get back to the activities they love without pain or limitations. We see people of all ages, ability levels, and individuals trying to get back to a multitude of movements including: getting back into running, women postpartum, CrossFit athletes, climbers, gymnasts, wrestlers, overhead athletes, and your recreational weekend warrior. If you’re looking to get back to the activities that give you meaning, relieve stress, and make you feel like you again, feel free to reach out below and we’ll see if we’re the right fit for you.
