Side Bridge
- Lie on your right side with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle and your elbow underneath your shoulder.
- Push your hips up and forward, lifting your thighs off the ground. Rest your right hand on top of your right hip.
- Be sure to keep your knees, hips, and shoulders aligned. If you experience discomfort in your shoulder, place your left hand over your right shoulder with your fingers spread apart, and pull your left elbow down across your chest.
- Hold for 10 to 30 seconds on each side, then rest for a maximum of 30 seconds.
Hip Raise
- Lie face-up on the floor with your legs extended toward the ceiling and palms flat on the floor on either side of your hips. Your whole back should be pressing into the mat.
- With control, lift your hips a few inches off the mat. Think about lifting straight up to the ceiling, and avoid bringing your thighs closer to your face. Lower your body back down with control.
- Repeat for 10 to 30 seconds, then rest for a maximum of 30 seconds.
Oblique Crunch
- Start lying face-up on a mat with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Your heels should be about a foot away from your glutes.
- From this position, lower both legs to the right side of your body. Your right leg should be touching the ground, and your left leg should be stacked on top of the right. Your upper back and shoulders should be flat on the mat.
- With your hands behind your head or crossed in front of your chest, engage your core to slowly lift your shoulders and back off the ground, performing a crunch. Keep your neck long.
- With control, lower your upper body back to the floor.
- Repeat for 10 to 30 seconds on each side, then rest for a maximum of 30 seconds.
Superman
- Lie face down on the floor with your arms and legs extended.
- Keeping your arms and legs straight and your neck long (gazing at the floor), simultaneously lift your arms and legs up so they're hovering several inches off the floor.
- Think about keeping your body as long as possible - stretching from fingers to toes - versus crunching to get your hands and feet as high as you can.
- Hold for 10 to 30 seconds, then rest for a maximum of 30 seconds.
