core strengthening Archives - Minnesota Physical Medicine Blog

plank Plank exercises are a simple way to work on core strength. They can also be used as part of an overall program to build strength and can even be used as part of an aerobic conditioning program. The nice part of this exercise is that they do not require any extra equipment. As one makes them more challenging, weights and balance balls can be added. The most common planking position is holding the position of the body straight while balancing on bent arms at the elbows, and the with the legs stretched out on your toes.

Muscles Used In Planks

Planks look easy but it takes a lot of muscle strength to keep the body in a good position for even 30 seconds. The muscles used include abdominal, back, arm and shoulder. Specific primary muscles are the erector spinae and abdomimal wall muscles. Secondary muscles, or stabiliziers, include the trapezius, rhomboids, rotator cuff, deltoids, pectoralis and serratus anterior, and in the lower body the gluteus maximus, gastrocnemius, and quadriceps. Regular planks use muscles all along the spine, shoulders, abdomen, pelvis and legs.

Once the regular basic plank is routine, it can be made much more difficult to keep things challenging. The next level is doing side planks. This is holding a plank type position on either side of the body. Side planks activate abdominal muscles, some of the spine and shoulder muscles, and a lot of the pelvic, gluteal, hip and upper leg muscles. The nice thing is this a whole different set of muscles that can be strengthened, and again one needs no special equipment.

Planks can still be made even harder with a variety of techniques. In a standard plank, a person has four points of supports using the arms and legs. Move to three points of support and the exercise becomes significantly harder. Balancing on the feet and one arm at time stresses more upper body strength. Lifting off one leg requires more abdominal, back and arm stabilization. Maintaining good form for even 30 seconds is extremely difficult. With side planks, one has two points of support in general, so increasing the workload can be achieved with raising and lowering the upper leg, strengthening the hip muscles even more.

For true punishment, planks can be made even more difficult in two ways, decreasing the stability of the platform for the feet or arms, and adding weights to use with the arms or legs. Doing planks with the use of a wobble board, movement ball, half sphere – Bosu, or balance platform adds the challenge of maintaining position without tipping over or falling. Adding light weights of a few pounds to the arms or the legs can add more to the strengthening.

Controlling neck, back, shoulder, and pelvic pain all involve improving your core muscle strength. Working on strengthening does not take a fancy gym with expensive equipment, it can be done simply at home. Start a program with planks and see how difficult working on the core muscles can be.

If you have had low back pain and have done physical therapy, you’ve probably been told about the benefits of core strengthening. The muscles that keep the spine stable are those known as the core muscles. These include the hip musculature, the large and small muscle along the spine, and the abdominal and pelvic muscles. When a person normally does strength training, the core muscles are often not included in an exercise program. Without specifically focusing on these muscles, they are often weak. Working the core muscles often is hard because it takes special exercises, they are boring to do, and sometimes it is hard to tell if you are working the correct muscles. Further, when going to physical therapy, many people are given fifty exercises, they all seem to be the same, and they take too long to get done in a reasonable amount of time.

A good core strengthening program can be done by just about anyone in about 15 to 20 minutes. If you have had low back pain, doing core strengthening combined with general muscle strength training should be done three times a week. This will be necessary to build and maintain the muscle function, and should decrease the overall pain level felt by a person. The nice thing about core strengthening is that it does not require expensive or significant amounts of equipment. For many people core strengthening can be done with no equipment. Helpful equipment would include 1.5 pound each ankle weights, 3-lb. hand weights, an exercise ball, a balance board, and rubber tubing with handles and a door loop to secure it in a doorway.

Core Strengthening Exercises

The first set of exercises does not require any equipment. Weight can be added to the ankles and the 3-lb. hand weight when it becomes too easy. Planks engage the whole body and especially the core muscles. A plank is done like a push-up, but one holds the body stiff like a straight board, instead of the arms straight, lean on bent elbows, and hold the position for 30-45 seconds, take a break then repeat. Making it harder, try holding the plank on a balance board, as this will make you engage the muscles to keep you from falling to the side. One level higher includes side planks, keeping the position on one elbow and leg on your side, hold on each side again for 30 seconds. Adding side leg lifts increases the challenge as does adding in ankle weights.

Superman

The next exercise that is easy to add is the “superman”. In this exercise, you are on the floor on your hands and knees. From this position, stretch out one arm and the opposite leg, get them fully extended, reach as far as possible, and hold it for 5-10 seconds, keeping the back level. Switch and do the other arm and leg, and do a series of seven to eight of these. This exercise is good at working the small muscles along the spine and leg as well as arm muscles. When it becomes easy, strap on ankle weights and use the 3-lb. hand weight.

Crunches & Leg Lifts

The next group of exercises is the one many people hate. Abdominal crunches and leg lifts. Abdominal crunches are like the old fashioned sit-ups, but one does not sit up at all. Lying on your back with your legs bent and feet flat on the ground, place your hands behind your head and start to bend forward at the waist tightening up the abdomen. There is no rule on how many crunches to do, but do as many as needed to make the stomach feel like it is working. Combine straight crunches with twisting to each side, as this allows one to make sure that you work more of the abdominal muscles, especially the obliques. The other good abdominal exercise is doing leg lifts. Again, lying on the back, but with the legs straight out, lift them off the ground 6-12 inches and hold them there for 10 seconds. Making it tougher, spread the legs apart and hold them after having them together. If it’s still not hard enough, add the ankle weights and do the exercise. Do a series of seven of them.

Working the small paraspinal muscles that connect level to level in the spine seems one of the hardest areas. Rubber tubing and bands seem to be an easy way to activate these, and to be able to feel them when you are engaging the correct muscles. Rubber tubing of different strengths with handles for each end and a doorway anchor (a nylon loop to thread the tubing through and an enlarged end, when placed between a closed door, this is a secured hold for the tubing) is great for these exercises. There are only a few exercises to with the tubing, but it is easy to feel you are working the back muscles. First, place the anchor in the top of the door, face the door, grab the handles, step back slightly and pull the handles down and hold for several seconds at your waist then slowly release the tension, and do seven of these. Turn around with your back to the door, take a small step out, hold the tubing with the elbows bent to the chest and slowly bend forward, hold the position and then slowly return to standing upright. The forward bending puts traction on the lower spine as well as makes one activate the muscles. Also with your back to the door, you can have your arms fully extended forward and bring the arms down in front of you, also activating lower spine muscles as well as arm muscles. Once those exercises are mastered, you can add in placing the anchor in the side of door frame at mid to lower chest level, and do arm exercises facing the door and away. These will work the arms, chest, mid and low back muscles. Doing a series of seven of each exercise often will only take between 5-10 minutes and does a very good core and upper body workout. Tubing is extremely portable and can be easily taken with you and used when traveling to keep up the exercise program.

Core body strengthening is relatively easy and does not require a lot of time or equipment. A physical therapist often will give you too many exercises, but just choose some and do them. A rounded program hitting the major areas often can be done in a very short amount of time, three times a week. It does not need expensive equipment and can be done at home or when travelling. Feeling better takes the commitment to do the work. The simple stuff like exercise works the best to control pain, but it is up to you whether you will succeed.