Abdominal Stabilization 7

Professional Rationale
A more advanced supine abdominal stabilization exercise. This is a good place to start if patients can initiate a good TA contraction, and they can perform this exercise without compensation.

Client Rationale
This is a more progressive floor stabilizing exercise in which both legs are off the ground, further challenging your abdominals. It is teaching your muscles to stabilize your trunk while doing something different with your arms and legs. This is in fact what we do when we are walking, getting in and out of a car, putting on a pair of pants, typing at a keyboard. When the core is weak the muscles become dependent on each other or simply get sleepy, increasing the load on the spine. Retraining the core muscles to turn on independently of the muscles of the extremities promotes stabilization and unloading of the spine during functional mobility in addition to lifting. The Transverse Abdominus is a muscle that runs from your groin to about halfway up your stomach. When this muscles contracts, it increases the intra-abdominal pressure, resulting in significantly lower loads on the joints and discs of the lumbar spine (low back). When the TA contracts, it also engages the multifidi which are small segmental muscles of the lumbar spine and this helps to create a 'natural corset' for the spine. This ability of the body to create this natural corset, is in effect, Core Strength.



Instructions

• Tighten up lower belly to pull in about 1/4 to 1/2 inch.
• Begin with knees slightly bent and legs in the air as shown.
• Keeping lower abdominals tight, slowly tap one heel down,
• Make sure you maintain your transverse abdominus contraction the entire time.
• Repeat with opposite leg.
• Do not 'suck in your tummy'.
• Do not flex up at the trunk.
• Do not allow your pelvis to move.
• Do not hold your breath.
• Do not tip your pelvis forwards or backwards.

PRINT