Dollie Joined: 05/02/2006 Posts: 1029 Favourite Category: Body & Soul

i saw a physio for this same query. She told me to lie on my back and try to pull my tummy in as far as possible - like you are trying to pull your tummy button into the floor. You repeat this exercise quite slowly - when you get better you can start to lift your legs up whilst doing it - bent at the knee

SurreyGuy Joined: 29/11/2005 Posts: 1825 Favourite Category: Media & TV

I saw a physio recently for some post-op treatment. I'm not sure about toning the stomach, but she told me of a similar exercise to the one Dollie mentions. My physio called it "traversus (not sure of spelling) on/off".

You can do the exercise either sitting (at home or driving) or lying down, but it's easier to try it lying down a few times first. Lie on your back on a semi-hard surface, e.g. your bed. Place your middle and index fingers into your groin (on both sides) and then cough. As you're coughing, you'll feel a muscle twitch (on either side) and it is that muscle that you have to control.

I then had to try and keep that muscle tight and then gradually "release" it till it was 50% tight. I had to repeat that 10 times (every hour) - holding it in the 50% state for 10 seconds at a time". Like Dollie's exercise, my physio the said to progress to doing it with your legs raised once you felt confident. Obviously you couldn't do that whilst driving, though! :o)

My physio told me that coughing and sneezing are the only two ways to get that particular muscle to work.

Have fun! :o)

Bhen69 Joined: 18/06/2006 Posts: 5 Favourite Category: Other Sports

Hello - apparently the best way to strengthen your lower back is to work on your core abdominal muscles (i.e. working on the lower abs). The best way to do this would be ab exercises using a ball and remembering not to go back too far or push forward too much.

Hope that helps.