A healthy life starts with a strong body! And the route to a fit body is a strong core. Mostly people relate core to abs or abdominal. And yes, we all aspire to get a flat stomach and those washboard abs. Core represents all muscles on your trunk, including front and back muscles. Core exercises comprise of those exercises which help train the muscles of your pelvis, lower back & abdomen. In other words, all exercises which involve the use of your abdominal and back muscles in a coordinated fashion are taken as core exercises.
A weak core limits your ability to push your body beyond a certain fitness level and makes you more susceptible to injuries. A strong core on the other hand helps improve your posture and increases body balance and stability. Superman is one of the best core exercises to help strengthen lower back muscles or improve a weak back condition. A stronger back is less prone to lower back pains due to lifting heavy weights, long driving hours or due to any pressure on the back muscles. It also facilitates normal spinal functions. The superman exercise also helps in building flexibility of the back muscles and with its various variations; one can include it as a part of daily exercise routine.
How to Perform
Lie face down on the floor. Extend your arms out front, keeping your elbows slightly bent. Use your lower back muscles to lift your chest off the floor. Keep your neck and arms in line with your spine. Hold this exercise for one minute per set. Then, take one minute of rest. Repeat until you've completed 3 sets. Alternatively, you can hold only for a second, rest for a second, and repeat. If you prefer to do it this way, aim to do about 20 reps per set.
Remember to exhale as you lift your arms and legs up off the ground and exhale as you come bring them back down.
In order to start seeing/feeling results, aim to do 3 sets 3 days a week for 6 weeks. For Beginners, to make this exercise less challenging you can hold the pose for less time. You can also place a pillow or towel under your head to decrease the amount you must lift yourself. For faster results, increase the number of sets/times per week you do this exercise.
Be Cautious
Be especially careful with this exercise. Do not lift both your chest and legs at the same time - this places extreme strain on the disks in your back. Likewise, do not raise your head more than 8-12 inches. It takes time to build muscle strength and enjoy the benefits of a strong core, so always start with the beginner’s level under the supervision of an expert.