Abdominal Contraction

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet shoulder-width apart. Tighten your abdominal muscles, squeezing your pubis toward your rib cage. At this point, such in your stomach, using muscular contraction to pull your bellybutton toward your spine.

Hold this contraction for 20-60 seconds. Relax. Repeat 5 times. You may gradually increase the length of contractions and the number of repetitions.

Wall Squats

Stand with your back against a smooth wall with your feet 12 inches in front of your body. Keep your abdominal muscles tight (as described above) while slowly bending both knees to 45 degrees.

Hold for 5 seconds. Slowly return to upright position. Repeat 10 times.

Heel Raises

Stand with weight evenly distributed on both feet.

Slowly raise heels up and down. Repeat 10 times.

Single Knee to Chest Stretch

Lie on your back and grasp one thigh behind the knee with both hands. Gently pull your knee up toward your chest.

Hold this stretch for 20 seconds. Relax. Repeat 5 times on each side.

Hamstring Stretch

Lie on your back and grasp one thigh behind the knee. Slowly straighten your knee until a stretch is felt in back of your thigh.

Hold this stretch for 20 seconds. Relax. Repeat 5 times on each side.

Note: If this exercise causes back pain or leg pain, attempt while keeping the leg on the ground bent.

Bridging Exercises

This exercise should be added after you are able to perform the abdominal contraction (the first exercise in this phase) for five repetitions of sixty seconds. Do not perform this exercise if you are suffering from an acute injury or if it aggravates your lower back.

1. Rotate your pelvis and flatten your lower back to the ground by contracting your abdominal muscles.

2. Pull your belly button toward your spine.

3. Slowly lift your torso from the ground to form a bridge while maintaining the contraction of your abdominal muscles.

Single Knee to Chest Stretch

Lie on your back and grasp one thigh behind the knee with both hands. Gently pull your knee up toward your chest.

Hold this stretch for 20 seconds. Relax. Repeat 5 times on each side.

Hamstring Stretch

Lie on your back and grasp one thigh behind the knee. Slowly straighten your knee until a stretch is felt in back of your thigh.

Hold this stretch for 20 seconds. Relax. Repeat 5 times on each side.

Note: If this exercise causes back pain or leg pain, attempt while keeping the leg on the ground bent.

Intermediate Bridging Exercises

1. Rotate your pelvis and flatten your lower back to the ground by contracting your abdominal muscles.

2. Pull your belly button toward your spine.

3. Slowly lift your torso from the ground to form a bridge while maintaining the contraction of your abdominal muscles.

4. As you feel more comfortable, begin to increase the challenge by straightening one leg and then the other.

5. Once you master the one-leg bridge, you may progress to performing the bridge with your arms in continual motion: alternate raising your arms from your side to an overhead position and back.

Perform this exercise for one minute. As your fitness improves you may extend the duration.

Marching

1. While sitting on the ball, slowly raise and lower your arms overhead, alternating between the right and left sides.

2. Slowly raise and lower your heels, alternating right and left sides.

3. Combine the motions: slowly raise one heel and the opposite arm overhead. Laternate this exercise from side to side.

4. As your fitness level increases you may slowly raise your feet 2-6 inches from the floor.

Perform this exercise for one to three minutes.

Abdominal Strengthening Exercises

1. Recline on the exercise ball with your lower back resting on the ball.

2. Tighten your abdominal muscles and slowly crunch your upper body. Hold in this contracted position while tightening your abdominal muscles for ten to twenty seconds. Slowly lower yourself to the starting position and repeat five times. You may gradually increase the number of repetitions or the length of contractions.

Gradually increase the number of repetitions or the length of contractions as your fitness increases.

Basic Stabilization

Lie on your back with your knees bent and calves resting on the ball.

1. Slowly raise and lower your arms as shown, alternating right and left sides.

2. Slowly straighten one knee while gently putting pressure down with the leg on the ball. Alternate between the right and left sides.

3. Combine the motions: slowly straighten one knee and raise the opposite arm overhead alternating from side to side.

Perform this exercise for one minute.

Wall Squats with a Ball

This exercise can replace wall squats without the ball, as seen in the initial phase.

Stand with the ball between your low back and the wall. Slowly bend knees 45 to 90 degrees.

Hold for 5 seconds. Straighten knees. Perform ten repetitions of this exercise.

Hamstring Stretch

Lie on your back and grasp one thigh behind the knee. Slowly straighten your knee until a stretch is felt in back of your thigh.

Hold this stretch for 20 seconds. Relax. Repeat 5 times on each side.

Note: If this exercise causes back pain or leg pain, attempt while keeping the leg on the ground bent.

Hip Flexor Stretch

Lie on your back near the edge of a bed or bench, holding one bent leg close to your chest. Slowly lower the other leg down, keeping your knee bent, until a stretch is felt across the top of the hip/thigh.

Hold for 20 seconds. Relax. Repeat 2 times on each side.

Piriformis Stretch

Lie on your back with both knees bent. Cross one leg on top of the other. Pull the opposite knee toward your chest until a stretch is felt in the buttock/hip area.

Hold for 20 seconds. Relax. Repeat 2 times each side.

Abdominal Strengthening Exercises

1. Recline on the exercise ball with your lower back resting on the ball.

2. Tighten your abdominal muscles and slowly crunch your upper body. Hold in this contracted position while tightening your abdominal muscles for ten to twenty seconds. Slowly lower yourself to the starting position and repeat five times. You may gradually increase the number of repetitions or the length of contractions.

Gradually increase the number of repetitions or the length of contractions as your fitness increases.

Bridging Exercises on the Ball

1. Lay with your calves on an inflatable exercise ball.

2. Rotate your pelvis and flatten your lower back to the ground by contracting your abdominal muscles.

3. Pull your belly button toward your spine.

4. Slowly lift your torso from the ground to form a bridge while maintaining the contraction of your abdominal muscles.

5. As you feel more comfortable, begin to increase the challenge by raising one leg off of the ball and then the other. This progression may take weeks.

6. Once you master the one-leg bridge you may progress to performing the bridge with your arms in continual motion: alternate raising your arms from your side to an overhead position and back.

Perform this exercise for one minute. As your fitness improves you may extend the duration.

Lumbar Extensor Strengthening

Lie on your stomach over the exercise ball.

1. Slowly raise alternate arms overhead.

2. Slowly raise alternate legs until parallel with the floor.

3. Combine 1 and 2, alternating opposite arms and legs.

This exercise may also be performed with the knees bent. Be careful not to arch your low back during this exercise!

Lumbar Extensions on the Exercise Ball

1. Kneel on the ground with your stomach on the ball.

2. Tighten your abdominal muscles as described in the abdominal contraction section of the initial exercise program.

3. Slowly raise your trunk to being slightly above parallel and hold in the upward position for five seconds.

4. Lower your shoulders and upper back and repeat.

Corner Stretch

1. Stand facing a corner from about eighteen inches away with your hands, forearms, and elbows in contact with the walls on either side of the corner.

2. Slowly lean into the corner until a stretch is felt in your chest muscles.

3. Hold this stretch for 15 seconds.

4. Perform this stretch three times; once in each of three positions: high, medium, and low.

Note: If you have a history of shoulder instability or dislocations, do not perform this exercise without consulting a doctor.

Rowing on the Exercise Ball

1. Lay facing down on an exercise ball with the ball supporting your chest, abdomen, and pelvis.

2. While maintaining your spine in a neutral or slightly extended posture, grasp some hand weights (dumbbells).

3. Lift the weights by pulling with your arms and especially by retracting (pulling back) your shoulder blades.

4. Pause in the up position and concentrate on contracting your upper back muscles.

5. Slowly lower the weights and repeat this exercise.

Note: For increased stability you may spread your feet into a wide stance.