Ideas to Target the Core

I don’t know about you, but I know my core muscles (abdominals, back extensors, shoulder girdle, and hips) can always stand to be stronger. This also goes for our kids, typically developing as well as kids with a neuromuscular challenge. While there are lots of ideas for targeting specific muscle groups, sometimes its good to do exercises that get a bigger bang for their buck. There are some exercises that can target multiple areas of the core at the same time. Here are a few:

• Planks – Planks are great for getting all areas of the core. Of course they are not easy, especially if you want to maintain good form. For those just starting out with a plank you can go on your hands and knees and bring your hips in a straight line with your trunk. To make it harder to you can move to your hands and toes (or forearms and toes) and keep your whole body in a straight line. To make it even easier, you can use a bench or a table and put your hands on there so you are at an incline. The goal is to be able to hold your body in a straight line without having your belly sag or your hips sticking up in the air. Find the level of difficulty that lets you maintain that straight body. And start small. If you can hold it for 15 seconds then do that. Slowly increase your time and then increase the difficulty!
• Wheelbarrow Walking – This also targets multiple areas, the hips don’t get as much work unless you are being supported by the ankles, but its still great for the shoulders and trunk. You can use a scooter board and sit on it and hold them by their trunk, or their hips, or their thighs, or their ankles (the further out you hold them, the harder it is). Use a hallway and have something fun like a book or a puzzle at the end that they get to do something with each time they get down there. You can also use a rolling stool. This changes the angle and makes it harder. Even harder is you just standing and walking while supporting them. Again, the goal is to hold the body straight so find the level of support that allows them to do this and gradually work your way out towards their ankles and up to you standing!
• Walk Outs – Use an exercise ball or a peanut ball or even a foam roller (the exercise ball will be the hardest because it can move in multiple directions). Place a puzzle and its pieces a little out of reach and have them lie on their stomach on the ball and then slowly walk out their hands as far as they can go while maintaining a straight trunk and hips. Then put a piece in the puzzle and walk their hands back. Keep repeating until all the pieces are done. You can also use beanbags, or other toys that involve multiple pieces.
• Bridging – This one really targets the hips but also works on the trunk. I’ve talked about ways to work on this in other posts. You can get creative with how to make it fun, such as balls or cars going underneath. You can also make it harder by putting one foot on an elevated surface and the other one on the floor, or both feet on an exercise ball or peanut (or other unstable surface). You could just do one leg and keep the other leg up in the air. You can do reps of up and down, or you can go up and hold it for longer and longer periods of time.

What are some of your favorite ways to work on the whole core?