​Click the link to view the exercise:

  1. Single Leg Bridging
  2. Reverse Plank
  3. Side Plank on Knees
  4. Skydiver
  5. Sahrman Abdominal Progression

Single Leg Bridging

  1. Lay on your back with your heels close to your buttocks.
  2. Posteriorly rotate your pelvis, flattening your lower back against the floor.
  3. Maintain this pelvic position, then push through your heels and raise your hips towards the ceiling.
  4. Hold for _______ seconds.
  5. Single leg: Perform exercise as above, but keep one leg straight with your thighs parallel as you lift your hips. Maintain posterior pelvic tilt.
  6. To achieve a quadriceps stretch, keep both feet on floor, hip width apart.
  7. Bring knees together and maintain this position as you bridge.
  8. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat 6 times.
_5-1__single_leg_bridging.pdf
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Reverse Plank

  1. Lay on your back with your heels on a 6-7 inch step or 6” foam roller, toes turned out.
  2. Posteriorly rotate your pelvis, contract your gluteal muscles and lift your hips off the mat (maintain pelvic position).
  3. Hold for 30 seconds or 3-4 deep breaths.
  4. To advance, perform as above, keeping your pelvis level, raise one leg off the step approximately 6
  5. inches, and hold this position for 30 seconds or 3-4 deep breaths.
  6. Then return to start position and raise opposite leg for same duration.
  7. Also, attempt to gradually bring feet back into neutral position (toes) pointing to ceiling.
_5-2__reverse_plank.pdf
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Side Plank on Knees

  1. Lie on LEFT RIGHT side with feet together, knees bent at 90 degrees.
  2. Elbow should be under shoulder.
  3. Perform posterior pelvic tilt (tuck pelvis under).
  4. Pelvis should be in line with knees and shoulders.
  5. Lift pelvis off floor so that only forearm and knees are supporting body.
  6. Be sure that your hips stay in line with your trunk.
  7. Don’t allow them to drift forward or backward.
  8. Also, breathe into belly (diaphragmatic breathing) throughout exercise.
_5-3__side_plank_on_knees.pdf
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Skydiver

  1. ​Lie with abdomen centered on appropriately sized Swiss Ball.
  2. Gently engage abdominals by sucking belly button toward spine.
  3. While keeping low back flattened, NOT ARCHED, slowly lift arms and legs so that nothing is in contact with the ground.
  4. Attempt to hold this position for at least 10 seconds.
  5. Be sure to also maintain good neck alignment- don’t allow head to drop toward floor-tuck chin slightly. Tip: Make small adjustments with arms and legs-don’t jerk. Goal is 30 seconds. Good luck!
_5-4__skydiver.pdf
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Sahrman Abdominal Progression

Prior to beginning any of these exercises, properly engage transversus abdominus muscle as described byyour physical therapist. If performed properly, the low back never looses contact with the ground and pelvis remains stable-no tipping side to side or front to back.

Level 1: Bent-knee fall-outs. Knees are bent with feet flat on floor. Lower knee out the side toward floor with
control and immediately return to starting position. Now repeat this movement with opposite leg (first picture).

Level 2: Single-leg marches. Lift ______ knee toward chest until a 90 degree angle exists at hip. Now lift
_______ leg to same position. Without resting, lower this leg back to starting position followed by ______ leg
so that both are now resting on ground (second picture).

Level 3: Alternate leg marches. Similar to above exercise except heel of one foot lightly touches ground as
opposite hip is at 90 degree angle relative to trunk. Knees remain bent, legs move reciprocally (third picture).

Level 4: Alternate leg marches with knee extension. Same as above exercise but now the leg being lowered
also straightens at the knee. Heel lightly touches ground. Legs continue move reciprocally (fourth picture).

Level 5: Performed as exercise above but legs move together as a unit (fifth picture).

Level 6: Any of the above exercises are more difficult with arms raised overhead (sixth picture).
_5-5__sahrman_abdominal_progression.pdf
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