Workout Plan
The concept of this workout routine grew out of my desire to offer something I didn’t have as a teenager with scoliosis, a written program of light aerobics, core strengthening, and basic stretching that I could complete daily. If someone were to tell me at age twelve or thirteen to tighten my core, I wouldn’t have known what they were talking about. The objective of this program is to make sure a teen with scoliosis does know what that means. Even someone who’s in their early teens can develop a solid grasp of these terms and how they related to their condition. Knowing this will help as they get older.
Excerpt:
Arm Circles
o Starting Position: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and extend your arms out to the sides.
o Movement: Make small circles with your arms, gradually increasing the size of the circles. Reverse direction of the circles after 30 seconds.
o Duration: Perform for 1 minute.
Sample Core Routine
Basic Plank
- Starting Position: Begin in a forearm plank position with your elbows directly under your shoulders and your body in a straight line from head to heels
- Movement: Hold this position, keeping your core engaged and your back straight.
- Duration: Hold for 20-30 seconds, gradually increasing to a minute as strength improves.
Bird-Dog
- Starting Position: Begin on all fours with your hand under your shoulders and your knees under your hips.
- Movement: Simultaneously extend your right arm forward and your left leg back, holding for 5 seconds. Keep core engaged. Return to starting position and do the other side.
- Repetitions: Perform 10-15 reps per side to start with.
The Pelvic Tilt
- Starting Position: Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Movement: Gently flatten your lower back against the floor by tightening your abdominal muscles and tilting your pelvis upwards. Hold for 5 seconds and then relax.
- Repetitions: Perform 10-15 reps to start with.
Superman
- Starting Position: Lie face down on the floor with your arms extended in front of you.
- Movement: Simultaneously lift arms, chest, and legs off the ground, squeezing your lower back muscles. Hold for 2-3 seconds, then return to starting position.
- Repetitions: Perform 10-15 reps.
Leg Raises
Leg raises target the legs and hip muscles while also strengthening the core.
- Starting Position: Lie on your back and raise both legs from the hips off the ground to from a 135-degree angle.
- Movement: Hold for 20 to 30 seconds while keeping the core tight. Lower and repeat 5 reps.
Half Sit-ups
- Starting Position: Sit on the floor with your knees bent and arms stretched out in front of you.
- Movement: Rock backward and forward 10 to 15 times while keeping the core tight.
