At Perreault Chiropractic and Acupuncture, we offer exercise and rehabilitation instruction. Emphasis includes core stability and how it affects both sports performance and everyday activity.
Regular physical activity has many perks, including:
- Increase in cardiovascular health
- Increase sense of well-being and self confidence
- Weight management
- Increase quality of life as we age
Exercises
- Plank
- Plank Leg Lifts
- Side Plank Hip Abduction
- Resistance Band Clamshell
- Lateral Band Walk
- Dead Bug
- Squat
- Child’s Pose
- Cat Pose
- Walking Lunges
Plank
1. Get into a push up position, with your elbows under your shoulders and your feet hip-width apart.
2. Bend your elbows and rest your weight on your forearms and on your toes, keeping your body in a straight line.
3. Hold for as long as possible. Try to build up to a 1-minute hold or longer.
Proper Form and Breathing Pattern:
– Keep your core engaged, your abs tight, and breathe slowly and deeply. Maintain your body in a straight line and maintain a tight core.
Plank Leg Lifts
1. Start in a low plank position with your body in a straight line, your elbows bent and under your shoulders, and your feet hip-width apart. 2. Lift your left leg to a 45-degree angle and hold.
3. Switch legs and repeat.
Proper Form and Breathing Pattern:
– Keep your core and glutes engaged at all times. Maintain a flat back and leveled hips.
– GOAL: 3 sets of 10 reps.
Side Plank Hip Abduction
Side Plank Hip Abduction Instructions:
1. Start in a modified side plank position, with your top leg extended and your bottom leg bent back with the knee on the mat.
2. Lift your top leg as high as possible and then lower it back down.
3. Repeat and then switch sides.
Proper Form and Breathing Pattern:
– While doing the side plank hip abduction keep your core tight, so that your upper body remains stable maintain your top leg straight and keep your foot flexed. Breathe out as you lift your top leg and squeeze the outer thigh. Inhale as you slowly lower your leg back to the starting position.
– GOAL: 3 sets of 10 reps (each leg 10 times)
Exercise Benefits
– The side plank hip abduction is a great exercise that you can do to target the outer thighs. The outer thigh muscles pull your legs away from the center of the body and play an important role in keeping your knee and hip joints stable. Doing hip abductions not only helps to strengthen and sculp your outer thighs but can also improve your balance and stability.
– Add resistance band around thighs to challenge yourself.
Resistance Band Clamshell
Resistance Band Clamshell Instructions:
1. Lie on your side with your knees slightly bent, one leg on top of the other, and place a resistance band around both thighs.
2. Keep your feet together and left your top knee.
3. Lower your knee back to the initial position, repeat, and then switch sides.
Proper Form and Breathing Pattern:
– Keep your upper body stable and relaxed, maintain your spine neutral and tighten the core. Exhale as you rotate your upper hip and life the knee. Inhale as you lower your leg back to the starting position.
– GOAL: 3 Sets of 40 Reps
Exercise Benefits:
– The resistance band clamshell is a modified version of the clamshell exercise that targets the outer thighs and glutes and strengthens the hips. This move also helps to stabilize the pelvic muscles and tones the thighs.
Lateral Band Walk
Lateral Band Walk Instructions:
1. Place a resistance band right above your knees and stand with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Squat down into an athletic stance and take a step to the left.
3. Keep taking small steps to the left and then repeat on the right side.
Proper Form and Breathing Pattern:
– Stay low throughout the movement. Keep your head, neck and spine neutral and fully engage your glutes. Step your feet from hip-width apart to shoulder-width apart and breathe deeply, with a smooth and steady rhythm.
– GOAL: 3 sets of 10 reps (20 steps, 10 each direction)
Exercise Benefits:
– The lateral band walk is a great to work your glutes, hips and thighs. This exercise strengthens the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus, helps to stabilize your knees and hips, and prevents injury.
Dead Bug
1. Lie on your back and extend your arms and legs toward the ceiling.
2. Lower your right leg and extend your left arm behind your head.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite arm and leg.
4. Keep switching sides until the set is complete.
Proper Form and Breathing Pattern:
– When doing the dead bug exercise keep your lower back flat against the floor, to avoid placing too much stress on it, and keep your abdominal muscles tight. Breathe out as you lower your leg and extend your arm, and hold them parallel to the floor. Breathe in as you return to the starting position and then switch sides.
– GOAL: 3 sets of 10 reps (each leg 10 times)
Squat
1. Stand up with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Bend your knees, press your hips back and stop the movement once the hip joint is slightly lower than the knees.
3. Press your heels into the floor to return to the initial position.
4. Repeat until set is complete.
Proper Form and Breathing Pattern:
– When doing squats maintain your back alignment, by keeping your chest up and your hips back. Don’t let the knees extend beyond the toes and put pressure on the heels of the feet. Breathe in as you squat and breathe out as you come up.
– GOAL: 3 Sets of 10 Reps
Exercise Benefits:
– Squats are a great exercise to tone the legs and the glutes and to strengthen the knee muscles. If done regularly, you can expect to see improvements in both your flexibility and balance. Squats are also great for getting the blood pumping through the entire body, thus promoting circulation, removing waste and reducing cellulite.
Child’s Pose
1. Get down on your hands and knees.
2. Sit on your heels, separate the knees, lay your torso down and stretch your arms in front of you.
3. Rest your forehead on the mat and relax for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Mindfulness Practice:
– Keep your knees wide, your toes together, and extend your arms as far as you can. Reset your forehead on the mat, breathe slowly, and as you exhale try to deepen the stretch. Relax as you feel the stretch in your hips and lower back and release all tension.
Benefits of Child’s Pose:
– The child’s pose is a great stretch for the lower back, glutes, hips, thighs, knees, and ankles. This is a very soothing and calming pose that you can use every time you feel stressed and overwhelmed. This pose also relaxes the spine, shoulders, and neck, and massages your internal organs.
Cat Pose
1. Start on your hands and knees with your knees under the hips and your hands under the shoulders.
2. Exhale and round your spine toward the ceiling.
3. Inhale as you come back to a neutral position and repeat 10 to 20 times
Mindfulness Practice:
– As you round your back, exhale and maintain your hands and knees in the same position. Release your head toward the floor and feel the stretch in your spine and neck.
Cat Pose Benefits:
– The cat pose stretches the neck and spine, helps to relieve stress and tension, and massages the abdominal organs.
Walking Lunges
1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, take a step forward with your right foot and then slowly bend both knees until your back knee is just above the floor.
2. Stand back up, take a step forward with your left foot and bend both knees until your back knee is just above the floor.
3. Stand back up, take a step forward with your left foot and bend both knees until your back knee is just above the floor.
4. Repeat this forward movement for the entire duration of the set.
Proper Form and Breathing Pattern:
– Maintain your back straight, keep your shoulders back, tighten the abs and keep your weight in the front heel. Breathe in as you lunge, keep your feet hip-width apart and lower your body until your thigh and leg form a 90-degree angle. Breathe out as you push back up to the starting position and take a step forward.
– GOAL: 3 sets for 10 reps (20 steps)
Exercise Benefits:
– Doing walking lunges helps to sculpt tone and strengthen your legs and glutes, and improves the flexibility of the hips. This exercise also engages your core and increases your balance and stability.
