What are the best core exercises for people with herniated discs?

1 The importance of core strength

Your core is more than just your abs. It includes all the muscles that surround your torso, from your chest to your pelvis. These muscles work together to stabilize your spine, transfer force between your upper and lower body, and control your posture and movement. When you have a herniated disc, your core muscles can become weak, tight, or imbalanced, which can worsen your symptoms and increase your risk of re-injury. By strengthening your core, you can reduce the pressure on your discs, improve your alignment, and enhance your function.

2 The best core exercises for herniated discs

Not all core exercises are suitable for people with herniated discs. Some exercises, such as sit-ups, crunches, or twists, can put too much stress on your spine and aggravate your condition. The best core exercises for herniated discs are those that engage your core muscles without flexing, extending, or rotating your spine. These exercises include planks, bird-dogs, and dead bugs. Planks are a classic core exercise that challenge your stability and endurance. To do a plank, lie on your stomach and prop yourself up on your forearms and toes. Bird-dogs are a functional core exercise that improve your balance and coordination. To do a bird-dog, start on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Dead bugs are a core exercise that target your deep abdominal muscles, which help stabilize your spine. To do a dead bug, lie on your back with your arms extended over your chest and your legs bent at 90 degrees. All of these exercises should be done slowly and controlled with no twisting or tilting of the hips to ensure optimal results.

3 How to do core exercises safely and effectively

To get the most out of your core exercises, you need to do them safely and effectively. Therefore, it's important to warm up before you start, breathe properly, use proper form, and progress gradually. When warming up, do some gentle stretches and mobility exercises to prepare your muscles and joints. You can also do some low-impact cardio to increase your blood flow. When doing core exercises, don't hold your breath and exhale on the hardest part of the movement. Maintain a neutral spine and avoid rounding or arching your back. Keep your head, shoulders, and hips aligned and engage your core muscles. Increase the intensity, duration, or frequency as you get stronger and more comfortable. Listen to your body and rest when you need to.

4 How to incorporate core exercises into your routine

Core exercises are an important part of your functional training routine, but they are not the only thing you need to do. You also need to include exercises that work your other major muscle groups, such as your legs, arms, chest, back, and shoulders. These exercises will help you improve your overall strength, endurance, and power, and prevent muscle imbalances that can affect your posture and function. You can also add some flexibility and mobility exercises to improve your range of motion and reduce stiffness and tightness in your muscles and joints.

You can do core exercises as a separate workout, or as part of your warm-up or cool-down. You can also mix them with your other exercises, or do them as a circuit or a superset. Aim to do core exercises at least two or three times a week, on non-consecutive days, to allow your muscles to recover and grow. You can also vary your core exercises to keep your routine interesting and challenging, and to target different aspects of your core strength.

5 The benefits of core exercises for herniated discs

Core exercises can help you manage your herniated disc and improve your quality of life. By decreasing the pressure on your discs and nerves, increasing the blood flow and oxygen to your tissues, and strengthening your core muscles, core exercises can reduce pain and inflammation, improve mobility and function, prevent further injury, and boost your mood and confidence. Additionally, by improving your posture and alignment, core exercises can reduce the stress on your spine, as well as release endorphins which are natural painkillers and mood enhancers. Such benefits can have a positive effect on not only physical health but also mental and emotional well-being.

6 Here’s what else to consider

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