Spine Stabilization 101

How to perform this excercise

1. Lie on your back and place both knees and hips bent to 90 degrees and both arms pointed towards the ceiling.
2. Activate your lower abdominals (transversus abdomini) by bringing your belly button inward and by activating your pelvic floor muscles 20 to 30% of a maximal contraction.
3. Maintain a steady abdominal breathing while you lower one leg straight and lower the opposite arm over the head.
4. Just before you touch the ground return the leg and arm to the starting position and repeat with the other leg and opposite arm.

How to perform this excercise

1. Take a four point position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips.
2. Your back must be slightly arched and your chin must be tucked in.
3. Maintain a steady abdominal breathing while you activate your lower abdominals (transversus abdomini) by bringing your belly button inward and by activating your pelvic floor muscles 20 to 30% of maximal contraction.

How to perform this excercise

1. Lie on your stomach with your legs straight and your back in neutral position.
2. Activate your lower abdominals (transversus abdomini) by bringing your belly button inward and by activating your pelvic floor muscles (inner thigh) 20 to 30% of maximal contraction.
3. Maintain a steady abdominal breathing while you slide one leg out keeping it straight and keeping your back and pelvis completely still.
4. Return slowly to the initial position and repeat beginning with the other leg.

How to perform this excercise

1. Lie on your stomach with the arms and legs stretched out, making your body as long as possible.
2. Lift your arms and legs off the floor and reach forward with your arms and backward with your legs.
3. Hold the position for a few moments, relax and repeat.

How to perform this excercise

1. Lie prone on the floor with your arms beside your body with palms facing down.
2. Tuck your chin in, draw the navel in, activate your glutes and calf muscles.
3. Slowly lift your chest off the floor while slowly squeezing your shoulder blades together.
4. Lower to the floor and repeat.
5. Keep your chin tucked and don’t arch your head back; keep your entire spine straight through this exercise.

How to perform this excercise

1. Lie on your stomach with your back in neutral position.
2. Activate your lower abdominals (transversus abdomini) by bringing your belly button inward and by activating your pelvic floor muscles (inner thigh) 20 to 30% of maximal contraction.
3. Maintain a steady abdominal breathing while you lift one leg up, keeping it straight and keeping your back and pelvis completely still.
4. Return slowly to the initial position and repeat, beginning with the other leg.

How to perform this excercise

1. Lie face down on a mat with your arms behind your head and your chin tucked in.
2. Lift your upper body up by pulling your shoulder blades together without lifting your feet.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat.

How to perform this excercise

1. Get on your hands and knees (four point position) with your knees and hands, hip and shoulders width apart. Your back is in neutral position (slightly arched) and your chin must be tucked in.
2. Activate your lower abdominals (transversus abdomini) by bringing your belly button inward and by activating your pelvic floor muscles 20 to 30% of maximal contraction.
3. Maintain a steady abdominal breathing while you simultaneously lift one leg backwards and the opposite arm overhead keeping your back in neutral position.
4. Return to the initial position and repeat with the other leg and arm.

How to perform this excercise

1. Start standing with your feet approximately 3 feet apart.
2. Shift your weight to the right side and allow your right knee to bend.
3. Keep the opposite knee straight to feel a stretch on the inside of your left thigh.
4. Hold, relax and repeat on the opposite side.

How to perform this excercise

1. Lie on your back.
2. Bend your hip to 90 degrees and stabilize it using both hands, then straighten your knee as far as you comfortably can.
3. Hold this position for 30 seconds
4. Flex the knee and repeat.
5. Repeat on the other side.

How to perform this excercise

1. Place one foot on a chair in front of you with your knee bent, toe pointing forward.
2. Keep your stationary leg extended on the floor 2-3 feet back from chair.
3. While keeping your trunk upright, move your hips forward.
4. Repeat as recommended. Complete on both sides.

How to perform this excercise

1. Sit or stand with a good upper body posture (shoulders back, chest lifted, head neutral).
2. Tuck your chin and incline the head to one side as far as possible.
3. As the pain subsides, user your hand to further tilt you head.

How to perform this excercise

1. Stand or sit tall.
2. Keeping your chin parallel to the ground, pull your head backwards feeling a stretch at the base of your skull. Guide the movement with your hand on your chin.
3. Hold for 3-5 seconds, return to the starting position and repeat.

How to perform this excercise

1. In supine, tuck the chin down and raise the head slightly.
2. Continue raising the neck segment by segment until the upper back starts to lift.
3. At the end, rotate the head left and right, then reverse the motion, segment by segment to bring the head down on the floor.
4. You should be able to swallow at all times during the exercise.

How to perform this excercise

1. Stand or sit tall.
2. Loop the towel around the back of your head (not neck) and hold the ends of the towel with your hands.
3. Slowly bring your head back over your shoulders by tucking your chin in and keeping your chin parallel with the ground.
4. While supporting your head with the towel, move your head backwards to look towards the ceiling, keeping your chin tucked as much as possible.
5. Return to the starting position, then release the chin tuck, supporting your head with the towel and repeat.

How to perform this excercise

1. Lie on your back with your chin tucked in.
2. Place the palms of your hand against the side of your face.
3. Without allowing any movement, attempt to turn your head to one side, while resisting any actual movement with your hands.

How to perform this excercise

1. Place your palm on the side of your face.
2. Attempt to bring your ear down to your shoulder but resist any actual movement with your hand.
3. Repeat on the other side.

How to perform this excercise

1. Hold an elastic band in your hands and attach it on the side at chest height.
2. With tension in the elastic, extend your arms forward and bring back the hands near the body.
3. Your body must not rotate as you resist the pull of the elastic.

How to perform this excercise

1. Start supine with knee bent at 90°.
2. Squeeze the glutes and lift the hips off the ground parallel with the torso, without using the lower back or hamstrings.
3. Do not go too far in the range of motion.
4. Repeat without touching the ground.