Exercises for Strengthening Abdominal Muscles Weak abdominal muscles, jobs that require a lot of standing, pregnanacy, and obesity (large protruding abdomen) sometimes countribute to sway back posture. Pelvic Tilt The pelvic tilt is done by tightending the abdominal muscles and the buttocks muscles at the same time. This pulls the pelvis up and forward in the front and down and backward in the back. If you have sway back and weak abdominals, you should practice this exercise frequently both while lying down and while standing. Partial Sit Ups Partial sit ups are done correctly with the hips and knees slightly bent. One should raise the arms, head and shoulders off the floor as shown. The position is held for five to ten seconds. One should never raise to the point that the lower back is lifted from the floor. This causes too much pressure on the disc and is unnecessary for abdominal muscles strengthening. The feet should not be stabilized; stabilizing the feet will allow the hip flexor muscles to do the work and you may be getting the opposite effect that you want with this exercise. It is important that the pelvis be tilted in order to keep the lower back flat on the floor throughout the exercise. The partial sit up should be done with a slight right and left twist to strengthen the oblique muscles of the abdomen. Strengthening exercises such as this should be started mildly and gradually increases in number as the muscles get stronger. They should be done once or twice a day. These exercises cause increased pressure on the disc and should not be done by someone with an active disc disorder. Leg Raises The double straight leg raise is done correctly by first doing a pelvic tilt to press your lower back against the floor, then raise the logs a few inches and hold 5 to 10 seconds. If you are unable to hold your lower back against the floor as you raise your legs, your abdominal muscles are weak and you should start this exercise with knees bent or with your feet against the wall As you become stronger, you can gradually advance toward the flat double straight leg raise or the double leg lift with the hips flexed. These are the most advanced ways to do this exercise. Exercises to Strengthen Quadricep Muscles Exercises to Strengthen the Back Muscles This exercise is sometimes referred to as the "superman." If you do a lot of sitting or forward bending and lifting, these exercises will be especially beneficial. These exercises should be started gradually and done once or twice a day. You may increase to doing 40 to 50 each. Small ankle and wrist weights can be added to make these exercises more advanced. |