Core workout for beginners
There are so many different core exercises out there but if you're trying to strengthen yourself back up after an episode of back pain, these are a good place to start.
Bird Dog Exercise
- On your hands and knees, make sure knees are under hips and hands are under shoulders
- Make sure your back is in a neutral position. Click here to remind you how to do that
- Brace your stomach muscles and make sure you can still breathe
- Imagine there's a bowl of water on your back and you don't want to spill a drop
- Slowly lift your right arm out in front of you, hold 10 seconds and then slowly bring it back in
- Repeat with your left arm
- Now take your right leg out behind you, hold for 10 seconds and then slowly bring it back in
- Repeat with your left leg
- Now brace your stomach and buttocks and remember to breathe
- Take your right arm out the front and your left leg out behind you, hold for 10 seconds and then bring back to the beginning by "sweeping" the floor
- Repeat 3 times on one side
- Now the opposite side
It's not a case of can you get your arm or your leg out, it's a case of how controlled you can be. If you wobble, it's just because your core isn't strong yet. Keep working at it and it'll feel stronger in no time. Concentrate on having really good technique.
Try and do 3 sets of these exercises, 3 times a week. When it starts to feel easy, hold it for 15 seconds, then 20 and so on. Eventually you'll move on to harder exercises.
“How long did it take when you started doing these before you stopped wobbling? Leave your answers in the comments below.”