June - July 2002 Edition 

Core Exercises   By Linda Rosen, Certified Medical Exercise Specialist    The other day after my morning fitness class in Radburn, Judy Wise, a participant, came up to me and said, "I feel so powerful using my core strength, and not just physically but mentally."    As the instructor, an exhilarating feeling came over me, and I realized that Judy gets it. Yes, when we develop our core strength we do feel more confident, more self-assured. We stand up straighter and feel stronger.    I decided to ask my night class how they felt while doing the core strength exercises and Joan Kaiser, another Fair Lawn resident, answered, "All the stress comes off my lower back and I feel like I'm floating." Beautiful words to express the exercise below.   In my last article I explained how to find your neutral spine. Here are exercises to develop the strength needed to maintain a neutral spine.   These are called "core exercises" and in rehab they are known as "spinal stabilization." The exercises target the abdominals, glutteals, hamstrings, quad, and hips all at the same time. They are "functional" exercises, because they use multiple muscles in one exercise as your body does in performing daily activities.    Once you develop your core strength your lower back, posture, balance, and overall body strength and tone will improve.  Plus you will feel, or at least appear, more self-assured. Below are three exercises to develop core strength. Choose the one right for you.   Before you begin please read last issue's article, Keep Your Belly In.    Good luck. Take your time and be extremely conscious of maintaining the neutral spine. Please email me with any questions at lrosenlaci@att.net.     Beginners - Lie on the floor on your back (supine) with knees bent, feet on the floor, and arms on the floor at your sides, palms down.  - Find your neutral spine and keep it. - Slide one leg out straight using your heel while reaching the opposite arm overhead, then pull the heel back to return to the bent knee position and return the arm to your side.  - Repeat with the other arm and leg.  - During this entire sequence contract your abdominals, breathe, and stay in neutral spine.  - DO NOT ARCH YOUR BACK.  - Slowly repeat eight times, keeping focused on your abdominals pulling in and staying neutral.   Intermediate  1. Beginning position: Lie on the floor supine with bent knees.  Raise your hips off the floor in a bridge position keeping your head, shoulders, and hands on the floor.  Now find your neutral spine by doing the pelvic tilts explained in my article in the April-May issue.  Yes, your buttocks is raised off the floor.   Once you find neutral, stay there.  You will need abdominal, glutteal, and quad strength to maintain this position.   DO NOT LET YOUR BACK ARCH OR SINK.   2. Reach one arm overhead, as you return it to your side reach the other arm overhead.  Continue doing this reciprocal arm movement at least 10 times, maintaining neutral spine.   3. Relax your arms at your sides and extend one leg in front of you keeping it at the height of your hip.  Return that foot to the floor and extend the other leg.   Continue 10 times remaining in the bridge and be sure to maintain neutral even as you switch legs.  DO NOT SWAY YOUR HIPS, ARCH OR SINK YOUR LOWER BACK.   Advanced  Starting position is the same as Intermediate.  Combine the exercises in #2 and #3 in Intermediate and repeat 5 times maintaining neutral.  You will be moving one leg and the opposite arm at the same time and then switching sides.  DO NOT SWAY YOUR HIPS, ARCH OR SINK YOUR BACK.         See Linda Rosen's Previous Columns Keep Your Belly In  (April 2002) Improving Your Posture  (February-March 2002)