3 simple exercises you can do today to start improving your core stability

Core exercises are planks and bird dogs and boat pose right?!

They certainly can be, but here are 3 other (waaaaaaay more simple) exercises you can do to help you start activating your core muscles. 

Breathing

Sure. Do that all the time. Next! Just wait a sec though. When you breathe, what part of your body do you feel it in? Your shoulders? Neck? Chest? Belly? Breathing well, and into all directions of your rib cage, can be really effective in helping you activate your core muscles, and managing the pressure in your abdomen and chest. Your diaphragm is considered part of your core musculature and work with your pelvic floor, your deeper abdominals and some muscles in your back to help to stabilise your trunk, and reduce pressure on your vertebrae in your lower back. Physiopedia has a great article if you want to nerd out some more.

https://www.physio-pedia.com/The_Role_of_the_Diaphragm_in_Trunk_Stability?utm_source=physiopedia&utm_medium=related_articles&utm_campaign=ongoing_internal

It is also a really important habit to get into, to try and not hold your breath when exercising. Try sitting, or laying on your back or side, and take a nice slow breath in, relaxing your shoulders and neck. As you breath in try to imagine your rib cage expanding out to the sides and front and back. As you breath out, feel all of this relaxing back in towards the middle. It might help to place your hands on your rib cage, so you can really feel this happening. Try to do 3-5 breaths like this, at least once a day. Make it 3-5 times a day if you are feeling really stiff/ stuck in particular direction when doing this. Stop if you get dizzy please!

Four Point Hover

Now you have the breathing down pat, hop on all fours, and try to make a nice long line from the top of your head to your tail bone. Keep your chin slightly tucked in. Push your hands into the floor, so you are pushing your chest away from the floor. Keep your lower back from sagging by drawing up through the pelvic floor, and gentle drawing your abs in. Try to hold all of this (whilst breathing of course!), and then very slightly lift one hand and your OPPOSITE knee off the ground a couple of centimeters. Hold for a slow breath in and out, lower and relax everything. Repeat on the other side. Do  x3 on each side. Yes there is a lot going on, so go slow, and try to have some patience. It does get easier. This will help switch on your multifidus (back stabilisers), deeper abs, shoulder girdle, some of your upper back muscles, neck stabilisers....the list goes on. It's a goody!

Sit to Stand

Sit on a chair feet about hip width apart, and knees tracking in the same direction as your feet. Before you stand, get ready to draw up on your pelvic floor muscles. As you stand up think of squeezing your glutes (buttock muscles), and keep drawing your pelvic floor muscles up. As you sit back down, relax your glutes, aim for a nice soft landing. Let everything relax between reps. Go slow, keep breathing. A smaller movement will be easier at first, so if you need to start from a higher chair (not your soft squishy lounge/ sofa). Keep your shoulders, neck and jaw relaxed. Hands on hips, or out in front for balance. Do x5 of these. 

Enjoy!

Bel, The Stability Physio