EXERCISES

Core & Hip Exercises

Exercises
plank_with_leg_pull

Plank with leg pull

  • Position hands under shoulders and legs out long with feet in the width of your hips
  • Keep the neck long with the head pulled out from the top and lengthen from head to heels
  • Draw the chest and abdominals up from below and keep the shoulders set down towards the back of your hips
  • While keeping the pelvis stable, one leg up towards the ceiling and outwards
  • Alternate legs and perform 5-10 each side
  • Exhale as you the leg and inhale as you bring it back to the floor

single_leg_circles

Single leg circles

  • Lay on your back with your spine long and pelvis neutral (there should be a little space under the lower back)
  • Relax the arms along your sides, tuck the chin, and keep the neck long and relaxed
  • Lift one leg towards the ceiling and circle it clockwise 10 times (cross the midline of the body), then counter-clockwise 10 times
  • Have the leg feel light and lighten across the pelvis, keeping it stable as you circle the leg
  • Only draw the size circle that you can control without the pelvis rotating side to side
  • Perform the same with the other leg

bridge_with_march

Bridge with march

  • Take a deep breath, then lift the pelvis back and peel your spine off the floor one vertebrae at a time (exhaling as you move) until you are up into a bridge with the pelvis and hips flat and the knees pulled out
  • Picture balancing an open glass of water on your pelvis to keep it level
  • Inhale to prepare to move, then exhale as you one foot off the ground
  • Place the foot back on the floor as you inhale again, then alternate legs as if you are marching (shoot for 10 each leg)
  • Keep the neck long, chin tucked, shoulders relaxed and pelvis stable

one_legged_bridge

One legged bridge

  • Start on your back with one knee bent and that foot on the ground in the width of that hip
  • Take the other leg straight to the ceiling
  • Inhale to prepare to move, then exhale as you push off the bottom foot to extend at that hip and lift your pelvis into a one legged bridge
  • Lower the base of your spine and pelvis back down by bending at the hip (inhale as you lower)
  • Keep the spine long and stable and the pelvis level across
  • Perform 10 each side

dead_bug

Dead bug

  • Lay on your back and extend all four limbs straight to the ceiling
  • Position the chin tucked with the neck long and the shoulders down from your ears
  • Find a “neutral spine” position and connect your musculature between the ribs and pelvis
  • Inhale to prepare to move, then exhale as you drop a leg with the opposite arm down and away (the leg arcs towards the lower foot and the arm reaches overhead)
  • Alternate side to side 10 times each
  • Tighten under your ribs and draw the abdominals inwards as you drop the limbs (don’t allow the back to arch)

sidelying_series

Sidelying series

  • Lay on your side with the head supported by your bottom arm
  • Picture laying on a balance beam with your top side stacked on the bottom side
  • Draw the abdominals in from the front and your back muscles in from the back
  • Pull both legs out long, then lift and lower the top leg while keeping the pelvis stable
  • Lift and lower the top leg 10 times, exhaling as you lift and inhaling as you lower
  • Then lift the top leg and circle it 10 times forwards and 10 times backwards
  • Repeat on the other side

sidelying_clam

Sidelying clam

  • Lay on your side with the head supported by the bottom arm and your top side stacked
  • Draw the abdominals in from the front and the back muscles in from the back
  • Bend the hips and knees and stack them up on each other
  • While keeping the pelvis stable and facing forwards, rotate the top hip out to face the knee cap towards the ceiling (exhale as you rotate up). Inhale to lower and perform 10 each side
  • Inner borders of the feet will stay together
  • Add resistance as able with a theraband around the thighs towards the knees

prone_swimming

Prone swimming

  • Lay on your belly with arms overhead and legs stretched out long
  • Your nose should point towards the floor with the back of your skull pulled upwards towards the ceiling
  • Start by pulling the face, chest, arms, and legs off the floor and hover
  • Pull the top of the head out from the front end of your body and your legs out in an opposite direction
  • Lift the abdominals into your back, then start to flutter the legs with alternating arms
  • Try a 10-20 sec bout (breathe normally or pulse your breath with 2 inhales and 2 exhales)

lateral_step_down

Lateral step down

  • Stand one leg on a bottom step with the side of your body towards the stair case
  • The other leg is off the step and stretched long towards the floor with the ankle flexed (heel pulling out and leading)
  • Keep the pelvis level across and bend the knee of the leg that is up on the step as if you are doing a one legged squat
  • Pay attention to aligning the hip, center of the knee and center of the ankle/foot in a straight vertical line as you bend the knee
  • Bend, then straighten, the top knee as much as you can while maintaining good hip/ knee/ ankle/ foot control and a level pelvis (10-20 each leg)

bird_dip

Bird dip

  • Stand on the right leg with that knee slightly bent and the left leg straight out behind your body
  • Position the pelvis so that it is facing evenly forwards and level across the top
  • While standing on the right leg, place the left hand on the left side of your pelvis and reach the right arm long in front
  • Bend at the right hip as if you are dipping forwards, reaching the right arm towards the floor
  • Keep all areas of your spine and legs stable except for that one moving hip as you dip forwards 10 times
  • Switch legs, standing on the left with the right hand on your pelvis and the left arm reached out in front. Try 10 on that side.