Will DuMouchelle, outpatient physical therapist, Parkview Sports Medicine, takes us through the motions of three movements for engaging and activating the core to build strength.
Watch the video: Experts in Motion: Core exercises
Curl up
The curl up exercise isolates abdominal muscles and contracts them during a hold, called an isometric position. To perform this exercise:
- Lay on your back.
- Bend one leg.
- Reach your arms straight up towards the ceiling.
- Tighten up your stomach and try to hold that tension as you lift your shoulders up and reach towards the ceiling.
- Hold for 10 seconds.
Chop
The chop exercise involves motion with a controlled contraction, rotating across your body, through a rotational plane. To perform this exercise:
- Take a split stance.
- With your arms straight, start up in one corner and move your arms down in a diagonal. Think about squeezing your stomach as your arms come across your body.
- Repeat 10 times.
Pallof Press
To perform this exercise:
- Come into a squat.
- Keep your stomach very tight as you press the weight straight out in front of you.
- Bring it back nice and slow.
The abdominal muscles are engaged as they resist the weight, making them stronger over time.
To learn more about Parkview Sports Medicine Performance Training, visit us here.
