The right way to do core exercises

Your breathing and posture matter for improving core stability.

Your core is the central part of your body, helping you stay balanced when you move. Increasing your core stability means making the muscles of your trunk stronger to keep your spine and body stable. Core exercises help everyone, from older people to top professional athletes.

Classic examples of core exercises include planks, situps and fitness ball exercises. It's more important to do these exercises well rather than do a lot of them. With any core exercise, be sure to:

Breathe with your belly.

Also called breathing with your diaphragm. Your diaphragm is the muscle that helps move air in and out of your lungs. To breathe with your belly:

• Lie on your back or prop yourself up on several pillows.
• Put one hand on your belly and the other on your chest.
• When you breathe in, push your belly out as far as you can. You should feel the hand on your belly move out, while the hand on your chest stays where it is.
• When you breathe out, you should feel the hand on your belly move in.
• Notice how it feels to breathe this way. When doing core exercises, try to get the same feeling of your belly moving in and out as you breathe.

Find your neutral spine.

Neutral spine is another name for proper back posture. A healthy back has three curves that give your spine an “S” shape. To find your neutral spine:

• Stand in front of a mirror with your hands on your hips. Allow your low back to arch so your stomach juts forward, and your buttocks stick out. Notice how your hands rotate forward.
• Tighten the muscles around your stomach and buttocks so your low back becomes very flat. Notice how your hands rotate backward.
• Now go halfway between the forward and back positions.
• Keeping your pelvis in this neutral position, stand tall with your ears and shoulders lined up over your hips.
• Practice finding this neutral spine in three positions: standing, sitting, and lying on your back with your knees bent. When you can do that, you can keep good posture for daily activities and exercise.

You can try belly breathing and finding your neutral spine just about anywhere. If you work with a physical therapist, they can help ensure you’ve learned to use the right muscles and breathe normally while exercising.

Source: Healthwise

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