Improve Your Core Strength in Just Minutes a Day

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Increasing the strength of your deep, postural abdominal and back muscles is one of the best ways to improve your core strength, heal your back if you've had back problems and protect your back from injury in the future. In many abdominal
exercises, such as sit-ups and crunches, it is the large muscle group rectus abdominus that is exercised. This is a very large and superficial muscle group that has a minimal role in stabilising the spine.

If you want a flat tummy and a strong spine you need to exercise the deeper abdominal muscles, especially the lower transverse abdominus muscle and the internal obliques. These muscles wrap around the abdomen, waist and spine like a corset and provide a "corset of strength" to the lower spine. These muscles also perform a much greater stabilising function for the spine, so they are of great value to improve the strength of the lower back.

Similarly, most back exercises concentrate on the large muscles of the back, particularly the erector spinae muscles. These are also superficial muscles that do not play such an important stabilising role. The deeper multifidus muscles have a much greater stabilising role for the lower spine.

Here are several exercises to improve your abdominal and back core strength.

In these exercises it is of utmost importance that you perform them with correct technique, as incorrect form will not activate the correct muscles groups.

1. Abdominal bracing – lying

Abdominal bracing - lying First it is important to learn to brace through the abdominal muscles in a lying position.

Lie on your back with your feet hip-width apart and your knees bent so that your feet are flat on the floor.

Position your lower spine in a neutral position, i.e. not arched too much, not flattened too much. (The back of the pelvis should be flat on the floor and the lower spine should lift just slightly off the floor).

Firm the abdominal muscles in an action of flattening and hollowing the lower abdominal region. This is a very important action that must be learnt correctly in order to do the following exercises correctly. What you are trying to do is to isolate the lower transversus abdominus and internal oblique muscles of the abdomen.

When you get the action right, your lower navel (between your belly button and your pubis) should draw inwards towards the base of the spine, and hollow slightly. You will feel a "wrapping" action of the muscles around the waist and lower spine as they firm and give the lower spine support in the neutral position. If you brace through the abdominals with the wrong muscle (rectus abdominus), you will notice that the belly pushes forward and stick out.

Hold this contraction for 6–10 seconds and repeat 10 times.

From now on, the activation of the lower transverse abdominus and internal oblique muscles will be referred to as 'abdominal bracing'. All other exercises should be performed with the lower spine in a neutral position and the abdominal muscles braced.

2. Abdominal bracing – standing

This exercise is essentially the same as the previous exercise except that it is performed in the standing position. You may find it useful to do this exercise side-on in front of a mirror to get correct form.

Stand up straight with your feet hip-width apart, shoulders slightly down and back, and your chin tucked in.

Lift through the crown of the head and lengthen the waist.

Find a neutral position for the lower spine.

Then brace through the abdominal muscles, activating your 'corset of strength'.

Hold for 6–10 seconds and repeat 10 times.

3. Abdominal bracing – kneeling

Abdominal bracing - kneeling This exercise is essentially the same as the previous two exercises except that it is performed in a kneeling position. You may find it useful to do this exercise side-on in front of a mirror to get correct form.

Kneel on the hands and knees, your feet hip-width apart, hands shoulder width apart, shoulders slightly down and back, head and neck in line with the rest of the spine, and your chin tucked in.

Find a neutral position for the lower spine. (Most people tend to arch the lower spine and let the abdominal muscles sag in this position.) Pull the lower abdominal muscles in and up towards the base of the spine.

Then brace through the abdominal muscles activating your "corset of strength". Hold for 6–10 seconds and repeat 10 times.

4) Hands and knees exercise – hip extension

Hands and knees exercise - hip extension This exercise is performed in the same position as the previous one.

Come into the hands and knees position as in the previous exercise.

Find a neutral position for the lower spine and brace through the abdominal muscles.

Then, slowly and with maximum control, lift and extend your right leg to a horizontal position. Do not arch your back. You will need to really grip the lower abdominal muscles and pull them in and up towards the base of the spine, to keep a neutral position in the lower spine.

Hold for 6–10 seconds.

Slowly lower your leg, without loosing your neutral position.

Repeat on the opposite side. Repeat on alternate sides 5–10 times each side.

5. Hands and knees exercise – alternate arm and leg lifts

Hands and knees exercise - alternate arm and leg lifts This exercise is essentially the same as the previous one, except that both the leg and opposite arm are lifted at the same time. This is a great way to strengthen the back.

Come into the hands and knees position as in the previous exercise.

Find a neutral position for the lower spine and brace through the abdominal muscles. Then, slowly and with maximum control, lift and extend your right leg and left arm to horizontal.

Do not arch your back. You will need to really grip the lower abdominal muscles and pull them in and up towards the base of the spine, to keep a neutral position in the lower spine. Also, do not drop your head, keep the chin tucked in and the neck straight.

Hold for 6–10 seconds.

Slowly lower your arm and leg without loosing your neutral position.

Repeat on the opposite side. Repeat on alternate sides 5–10 times each side.

6. Lying leg extension

Lying leg extension Lie on your back in a similar position to exercise one.

Brace your abdominal muscles.

Keeping your spine and pelvis in a neutral position (i.e. don't let the lower back arch or flatten), lift one foot off the ground.

Continue to keep your lower spine neutral and straighten the leg as shown.

Hold for 6-10 seconds.

Bend the knee and bring the foot back towards you. Rest the foot flat on the floor.

Repeat on the other leg. Repeat the exercise 5–10 times each side, slowly and with maximum control.

7) Lying bicycling exercise

Lying bicycling This is a similar exercise to the previous one except that the legs are alternately straightened and bent in a bicycling action. This requires more dynamic control of the lower abdominal muscles.

Lie on your back in a similar position to exercise one.

Brace your abdominal muscles.

Keeping your spine and pelvis in a neutral position (i.e. don't let the lower back arch or flatten), lift one foot off the ground.

Then, again keeping your lower spine neutral, straighten the leg as shown.

Bend the knee of the opposite leg as you lift the foot off the floor as shown.

Then, bend the knee of the straight leg, and extend the knee of the bent leg, so you alternate the legs in a bicycling action.

Repeat the exercise 15-20 times slowly and with maximum control.

By Alex