Seven creative core exercises to keep your spine healthy everyday

I am not a big advocate of “core” exercises because there’s a huge obsession with it. A lot of lower back pain patients think that having a good core equals their pain will go away.

We already know that this is not true. Many people who obsess over their core do actually experience back aches and soreness. The reason is because your pain is way more complex, and often doesn’t come a single structure.

Having said that, it is important to keep your exercises varied. You do want to do some lumbar spine mobilisation exercises to keep your spine nimble and yet at the same time engage in strengthening, functional exercises like squats and deadlifts.

Here are six sling-based core exercises for you to try at home:

Upside Down Turtle

Very similar to a traditional deadbugs, the upside down turtle involves holding isometric (i.e., no movement) contraction while moving the limbs of the opposite side. This definitely takes the challenge of a core exercise up a notch!

Suitable for patients with both low back and hip pain, as well as athletes in sports that involve quick and complex footwork (e.g., muay thai, MMA).

• Lie down flat on the floor with straight legs and arms by your side in a face up position.
• Lift both the arms up and place the hands overhead directly over the shoulders 
• Lift the feet off the ground and bend or ‘tuck’ both knees in towards the body till directly over the waist. This is the starting position
• Bring one hand down to touch the knee contralateral to the hand (e.g. left hand to right knee). Keep the hand and knee in this static position for the entirety of the motion.
• Move the other unmoved arm back towards the head until next to the head hovering above the ground 
• Simultaneously extend the other unmoved leg’s knee into a straight leg position with the foot hovering off the ground.(building on the above example where the left hand is touching the right knee, this would mean the right hand moving into an overhead position whilst the left knee straightens)
• Bring the hand and leg simultaneously back into the starting position. 
• Repeat the motion for the desired amount of repetitions.
• Repeat for the other side. 

Lounge and Pound

A little of an awkward exercise. Probably will have to try it yourself to get a hang of how it works. Best for combat sports athletes!

• Lie down on one’s desired side on an elevated surface.
• Straighten the bottom leg and lift the leg slightly off the ground, keeping the kneecap of this leg facing forward.
• Bend the knee of the top leg to a 90 degrees angle in line with the waist. 
• Raise the head and support it with the hand of the bottom arm.
• Straighten the top arm and move it directly over the chest such that the fist of the arm is pointing in the same direction as the chest. This is the starting position. 
• To begin the motion, drive the top arm forward and down towards the ground. 
• Return to the starting position to complete the motion.
• Repeat the motion for the desired amount of repetitions.
• Repeat for the other side.

Side Lying Skater

It’s really common for people with back aches and soreness to complain about hip flexor issues. This exercise is a marriage between your obliques, hip abductors, and also your hip adductors.

If you get hip pain with exercise such as squats, this may just be the solution you need!

• Lie down on the desired side of the body on top of an elevated surface.
• Bend both knees to a 90 degrees angle.
• Straighten the bottom arm and place it directly in front of the head.
• Bend the elbow of this arm to 90 degrees such that the hand of this arm is directly above the elbow.
• Grasp the upper part of the bottom arm’s forearm with the top hand. This is the starting position. 
• Begin the motion by lifting the top leg (maintaining the bent knee position in the start) such that the knee of this leg is directly in line with the waist.
• Straighten and move the top leg behind the body, hovering off the ground / bottom leg. The foot of the top leg should be pointing in roughly the same direction as the bottom foot
• Bring the leg back to its original position to complete the motion.
• Repeat the motion for the desired amount of repetitions. 
• Repeat for the other side. 

Side Lying Thoracic Rotation

If you often feel stiff in your middle back, this is a great exercise to help increase your range of motion and/or mobility. The exercise also doubles up as a neck endurance exercise as it requires you to hold your head up as you perform the exercise. For extra neck emphasis, add a little chin tuck to emphasise your deep cervical flexors.

While excellent for athletes who need a lot of trunk rotation (e.g., tennis players), this exercise is also great for everyday office workers!

To increase intensity, consider using a resistance band. Be sure to keep the pelvis as stable as possible (i.e., minimal rotation at the hips as you rotate your trunk).

It is not uncommon for people with neck pain or history of neck pain to feel a strain at the neck. If that is the case, be sure to keep the number of repetitions at a reasonable level.

• Lie on the desired side of the body on the ground. 
• Bend both knees to a 90 degrees angle such that the knees are directly in line with the waist.
• Straighten both arms and move them such that the hands of both arms are directly in line the chest and shoulders. This is the starting position. 
• Begin the motion by rotating the torso of the body to the opposite side (e.g., if facing right, rotate towards the left) till the torso is facing the ceiling with both arms directly overhead
• Allow the top arm to touch the ground on the opposite side whilst simultaneously reaching towards the ceiling with the top arm, lifting the chest slightly off the ground. 
• Return to the starting position to complete the motion. 
• Repeat the motion for the desired amount of repetitions. 
• Repeat for the other side.

Row Dog

Looks very similar to the bird dog exercise we have previously discussed for low back pain, this variation uses a rowing motion instead of arm flexion.

The row dog uses your mid back muscles (e.g., middle trapezius, rhomboids) in relation to your trunk stabilisers (e.g., lumbar multifidus) and hip extensors. For extra intensity, use an ankle weight or row with a small dumbbell.

This exercise works best for upper body-dominant athletes such as rugby players. For the everyday people with neck pain, the row dog is a great way to increase capacity of the neck-middle back- shoulder complex.

• Assume a quadruped position on the ground (knees and palms of both hands on the ground) with both hands holding the handles of the desired dumbbell weight.  
• To begin the motion, extend the knee of one leg and lift this leg till it is in line with the torso.
• Simultaneously lift the dumbbell of the hand contralateral to the leg by bending at elbow of this arm and lifting the dumbbell till it touches the chest. 
• Bring the arm and dumbbell back to the ground and the leg close to the starting position, with the knee hovering off the ground to complete the motion.
• Repeat the motion for the desired amount of repetitions. 
• Repeat for the other side.

Kneeling Chop / Thrust

We absolutely love this because it has a ballistic component similar to many kettlebell exercises. The key of this exercise is really to keeping your pelvis as stable as you can while going for a maximum speed “chopping” motion.

If you get accident sprains from rotatory type movements (e.g., playing tennis), this exercise is good at introducing torsion load to your spine. For extra intensity, use a resistance band.

• Assume a high kneeling / lunge position, with the knees of both legs bent at a 90 degrees angle. Squeeze the butt of back leg (leg with knee touching ground).
• Begin the motion by rotating the torso of the body to the side contralateral to that of the front leg such that the chest is facing a direction roughly perpendicular to that of the front leg (e.g., rotate to the right if the front leg is the left leg).
• Simultaneously lift the arms overhead whilst doing so. 
• Complete the motion by rotating the torso towards the opposite side of the body whilst bringing the arms down in the same direction. until the hands are at waist level. 
• Repeat the motion for the desired amount of repetitions. 
• Repeat for the other side.