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Engage Your Core: Lower Body Progression

7/4/2012

14 Comments

 
Last week on Align’s Facebook page I posted a picture to promote my Postpartum workshop. This picture showed an example of the abdominal “bread loaf” that can occur if the Transversus Abdominus muscle is not activated correctly during daily activities such as bending or lifting and abdominal workouts.   The increased pressure is going down into your pelvic floor and out into your abdomen.  Over time, supportive tissues can fail, and the results are abdominal/inguinal hernias, organ prolapse (uterus, bladder, rectum) or disc herniations (just to name a few).

In a previous post, I reviewed how to contract the deep abdominal muscle correctly.  This is an important skill to master before increasing the demands on the body such as carrying more weight, or moving the limbs.  Once the contraction can be performed without holding the breath, it is good to challenge the core by moving the legs.  Here is a lower leg progression to advance core control.
Picture
Lie on your back with your knees bent, and feet flat on floor. Make sure that your pelvic triangle (see dots) is level. Notice your ribs. Can you see in this pic that the ribs are lifted? If your ribs lift like this, you may want to prop something under your shoulders and head so they can come down.
Picture
The head and shoulders have been propped up with a half cylinder under the shoulders and a yoga block under the head. Now the ribs are in alignment and the transversus can have a more effective contraction. The pelvic triangle remains level.
Core Lower Body Progression
Activate your Transversus by drawing your belly button toward your spine as you exhale. Lift one leg to ninety degrees as shown, and hold for 1-2 sec. Then lower down. Contract your transversus again and lift the other leg. As you gain more control, contract the transversus, lift one leg to ninety degrees and then alternate legs without having to reset the contraction. Complete 10 repetitions and then rest.
Core Progression: Double leg lift
When you are able to complete alternate legs without difficulty. Perform transversus activation by drawing belly button toward the spine on the exhale, lift both legs at the same time as shown. There should be no bread loaf. If there is, you are not contracting transversus correctly. Go back to the last step before advancing to this progression. Hold for a few seconds and then lower down slowly on your exhale. You should never hold your breath! Repeat.
Picture
Next progression: From the initial position, place a pillow or yoga block between your knees. Contract your transversus and lift legs to ninety degrees. Gently squeeze into the block. Maintain transversus contraction as you begin to rotate your hips.
Core Progression: Active Hip Internal Rotation
Gently squeeze block as you rotate your hips by moving your feet away from each other, and then return to start position as in prior picture. Perform 10 repetitions and then bring both legs down on your exhale. Repeat 2-3 times.
Susan McLaughlin is a physical therapist who specializes in the management of pelvic floor and orthopedic dysfunctions. She is the owner of ALIGN integration|movement in Salt Lake City, UT.  Helpful tips and other self care strategies can be found at www.alignintegrationandmovement.com.
14 Comments
Lyn Christian link
7/4/2012 07:18:43 am

Thank you for this post Susan. This is the very area you've helped me improve. It has taken me days to start getting my core truly strong and my abdominal muscles talking to each other. Now I can look at the diagrams and know when I'm doing things correctly. As usual you offer solid, insightful information.

Reply
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9/17/2012 03:18:41 pm

I must say the blog post is just useful for everyone else reading it because the information and knowledge it contains is very important. I like the post! Excellent job! Keep sharing such valuable information through your blogs.

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heather
7/9/2012 01:34:06 pm

Good info. What other options can you use instead of a yoga block or half cylinder? Would a standard bed pillow work?

Reply
Susan
7/10/2012 01:46:39 am

Heather,
A pillow would work. It is better to have something a little more firm to prop you up like a yoga mat rolled up under shoulders and then a few pillows under your head.

Reply
Ashley
8/21/2012 01:20:21 pm

What causes the ribs to stick out? How do we fix that?

Reply
Susan
8/22/2012 08:41:21 am

The biggest culprit is a tight psoas. Here is my post that talks about how to release before you stretch: http://www.alignintegrationandmovement.com/1/post/2012/05/a-song-to-my-psoas-please-release-me-let-me-go.html

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6/3/2013 04:41:04 pm

What an awesome story and amazing adventures! And, great advice for new travelers about starting in Europe and then branching out to places outside of one’s comfort zone

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4/15/2014 06:45:04 pm

http://www.alignintegrationandmovement.com/1/post/2012/04/exercise-and-chronic-pain.html

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Carol Martin
8/23/2014 08:12:57 am

Hi Susan.
I have age related scoliosis in my lower right back. My physiotherapist said if I can strengthen my TA's, then the progress of this may be slowed down. The exercise he gave me is basically the first part of this blog - activating the transversus, flat on my back, then on hands & knees. If I progress to these leg lifts, will I be helping myself further?
I suffer quite a bit of pain with this condition, & if I can reduce this, then all the better.
I'm 67 years old, but my body has remained quite supple.

Reply
Susan
8/24/2014 10:08:21 am

Hi Carol,

The leg lift is a progression, so yes it would be helpful. I would not advise if you notice that you breath hold or start to arch your back, that means that you are not ready for the next step. A supple core is important for health, the TA is just a part of it. I have some great blogs for spine and hip health. If you search that on my blog you will find some other useful information. I hope that helps! Susan

Reply
Julia Friesen
11/12/2015 12:53:26 pm

these are very helpful. Im a rib thruster so this technique really helps while I try releasing my psoas and getting my ribs down...this whole blog is very helpful. Thank you!!!

Reply
Susan
11/12/2015 02:19:05 pm

Julia,

Thank you for your feedback! Susan

Reply
colleen
2/3/2017 10:37:04 am

Susan-- thanks so much for this. I have recently realized that my psoas is over-firing when I run (acting too much as a back stabilizer as well as a hip flexor) and was told by a PT that I need to retrain my TA and multifidi to get them to activate. I know about the psoas release and will do more of that. I realized also that when I do these TA leg lifts my psoas kicks in.... do you have any recommendations on how to keep that from happening? Thank you!

Reply
Susan
2/4/2017 09:42:53 am

Hi Colleen,
Maybe you need some time in the let down psoas bolster release before doing any lifting of your legs. Susan

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