5 Best Core Exercises To Do At Home

Hello and welcome back again to the ThreeSpires Physiotherapy blog where we take a look at all things physiotherapy related. Recently we have looked at a few key exercises to help with balance but in this blog I thought we would take a look at an area that I often get asked to help with strengthening: the core. Now, although there is a lot of debate about whether there even is such a thing (it’s probably best to look at that in another blog), I do believe there are some really good exercises to help with building up stability in the trunk, hips and pelvis. As a physiotherapist working in the community and seeing patients at home I am often giving out a lot of exercises aimed at improving back, trunk and pelvic girdle strength that can be done at home so I thought that it might be good if I listed and described my top 5. 

Why Do Core Exercises?

I guess before looking at the actual exercises themselves it might be best to have a think about why should you bother doing any core exercises and why having good core strength and stability is important. Firstly, when thinking about the "core" and "core" strength I am really thinking about the strength and stability of the pelvic girdle, stomach muscles and back muscles and without getting in to too much detail I think that it is fairly obvious that if you have good strength and stability through all of these areas you are going to be much less likely to get back problems or pick up other injuries from other areas such as the knees having to work hard to compensate. Having good trunk and pelvic stability means that you won't be having to desperately compensate for wobbles or weakness in your pelvis with extra work being done by your ankles, feet, knees etc..

Okay, let's assume that I have convinced you that having a good and strong core is a good thing, what exercises should you do?? Well before we continue and go through each of my top 5 core exercises, I have a quick disclaimer that you need to read:

DISCLAIMER ALERT: Now, please bear in mind that this does not replace the need for a full assessment or seeking medical advice, they are simply an illustration of some exercises that I generally find very helpful with patients. If you have any concerns or feel any pain when doing these then you should seek advice.

5 Best Core Exercises To Do At Home

So disclaimer over, which are my top 5 “core” exercises: Well, before we continue, it is worth bearing in mind that we are a community physiotherapy service and these are exercises that patients find they are able to do at home without any gym equipment. They are also easy to change and adapt for someone who is not as strong and also they can easily be made more challenging, for these reasons these are the 5 exercises that have made my top 5 core exercises list. I have tried to clearly detail how they can be adapted to make them easier and harder, so that if you find that you are getting better at one of them you will be able to adjust it to match your new fitness and strength level.. 

 

1.      The Plank: this is probably the most well known core exercise out there and certainly will be the exercise that most people associate with having a strong core. Potentially it does get overused but it is still a good exercise and one that I regularly recommend to my patients. I like the fact that I can make it easier or harder to match the strength levels of my patients and also that it does not need any equipment. The picture shows someone holding good form in the plank, make sure you keep a nice straight back and start initially with a low time target of say 10 seconds and build this up until you are able to hold the plank for a minute. To help with keeping good form I would initially get someone to watch you and give some feedback. If you find this too hard then you can make it much easier by beginning in all fours with your elbows and forearms on the flooor. Now, slowly edge your arms forward keeping the weight on your knees and forearms. Go forward as far as you can without feeling that can not get back to the starting position. Eventually you will get to a very stretched out position from where you can move up into the actual plank. 

There are a range of ways in which you can make the plank more difficult with my favourite being doing it on one leg.

 

 

2.      Side Plank: Much harder than its sibling the plank, so it may take a while to master this one but it is worth it in the long run as this will give you good lateral (side to side) stability at the hip an trunk. The picture shows a person holding good form in the basic side plank position, like the plank itself this is a great exercise because it requires no equipment, can be varied easily and is ideal for doing at home.  Maintaining good form is important and as before I would recommend you either have a partner or friend watch you and give you feebdack or you do the side plank in front of a mirror at home. To complete the side plank, lie on your side on the floor resting your weight on your elbow and with your legs straight, now push up and lift your hip off the floor. Hold this position and then slowly lower down. I would aim for 20 seconds initially and try to build up the time. If the full side plank is too hard initially then you can make it easier by beginning in a bent kneed position or by putting your other hand on the floor. To make it more difficult you can lift your upper leg up or use your hand instead of your elbow.

 

 

3.      Bridging: This is a particular favourite of mine for patients as it helps with strengthening hips, pelvis, back and stomach and it is generally easy for patients to begin doing but takes them a while to do well. As a physiotherapist these are pretty much all the ingredients of a great exercise. To begin, simply lie on your back on the floor (if you can't get up and off the floor easily use the bed) and bend your knees. Keep your hands flat on the floor for support and slowly lift your bum up as high as you can. Then slowly lower your bum back down to the floor. You can progress this exercise and make it more difficult by crossing your hands across your chest or by doing it on one leg.

 

4.      Superman: Again another great exercise that most patients can do at varying levels but it takes a while to do well. It also targets a lot of areas including shoulders, back, hips and pelvis and helps improve body awareness. It is a good home core strengthening exercise that actually works most of the body and does not need any equipment.  To do this exercise, get onto the floor on all fours and slowly extend and stretch out your opposite hand and leg until you look something like superman!! Now for some people this will be too challenging in which case start with just doing one arm at a time. When you feel comfortable with stretching out an arm, try doing one leg at a time whilst keeping your hands on the floor. After a while you should be able to build up the confidence to stretch out your opposite foot and arm.

 

 

5.      Static Lunges: It could be argued that these are not really a core exercise and things such as the dish or a two legged straight leg raise would be better. However, I find these really good for helping with balance, body awareness and pelvic strength. Personally I find these can really help with working on your hip and pelvic stability whilst also working on your general leg strength. To do a lunge take a big step forward with one leg and put your body in between your two legs. Keep nice and upright and then slowly lower yourself down towards the floor whilst bending your back knee and leg. Only go as far as you can without pain and also you can have some objects such as chairs either side of you to hold onto if needed. Again I really like these because most homes have enough space to do the exercise and you need minimal equipment.

 

Okay, I hope that you have found this physiotherapy blog about my top 5 core exercises to do at home useful and that it has given you some ideas about how you can manage to do a core exercise programme at home with minimal equipment. The entire routine should take no more than 5 mins maximum and can be done pretty much anywhere.  Please be careful when doing the exercises and consider starting with the easiest versions first, so as to give your body time to adapt. Also, if you are worried about any aspects of this routine or would like to develop a more comprehensive home exercise programme then please consider getting in touch. We are a home visit physiotherapy service based in Lichfield and serving areas such as Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth, Cannock, Walsall, Rugeley and Burton and we can be easily contacted via: enquiries@threespiresphysiotherapy.co.uk and 0788 428 1623Hopefully you have found the above 5 exercises helpful, they are by no means all of the possible core exercises that you could try but as a physiotherapist visiting patients at home I find them helpful and easy for patients to progress with.