Mayo Clinic Health System
  • Request an Appointment
  • Patient Online Services
    • Find
      a Service
    • Find
      a Provider
    • Find
      a Location
    • Visit
      our Blog
    • Contact
      Us
    • Refer
      A Patient
    • Patient Stories
    Before you call: Visit our COVID-19 webpage for vaccine updates, safe care and visitor guidelines, and trusted coronavirus information.
    • Request an Appointment
    • Patient Online Services
    • Pay Bills Online
    • Refer a Patient
    • For Patients & Visitors
    • Financial Assistance
    • Donate
    • Careers
    • Volunteer
    • For Medical Professionals
    • About Us
    • Community Resources
    • Press Room
    • Mayo Clinic
    • CaringBridge
    ERROR!

    Find Classes & Events in Your Area

    Posted By
    Denise Grabowski MS PT

    Denise Grabowski, M.P.T.

    Physical Therapy

    Featured Topics
    • Behavioral Health
    • Cancer
    • Children's Health (Pediatrics)
    • Diabetes
    • Exercise and Fitness
    • Heart Health
    • Men's Health
    • Obstetrics and Gynecology
    • Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery
    • Women's Health
    Speaking of Health
    Monday, January 20, 2020

    How to strengthen your core

    Exercise ball and treadmill

    About 80% of Americans struggle with lower back pain at some point. One key to preventing this, or quickly recovering from back pain, is to strengthen your abdominal, pelvic, diaphragm and back muscles. These muscle groups are referred to as core muscles. Implementing core workouts into your daily exercise can help prevent back pain and improve your posture.

    When performing core exercises, be sure to use a mat or lay on carpet. Also, don't forget to take deep, slow breaths and exhale with the effort of the movement to activate your core muscles.

    There are nonstrenuous exercises that can help strengthen your core at home, including yoga and Pilates or using a stability ball.

    Use a stability ball and yoga mat when you try a core exercise called a bridge at home:

    1. Lie on your back with your legs resting on top of the ball.
    2. Tighten your abdominal muscles. Inhale deeply.
    3. Exhale as you tighten your core, lifting your hips and buttocks off the floor into a bridge. Hold steady for three deep breaths. This works your core muscles and the muscles along your backside — the gluteal muscles and hamstrings — as they contract to keep you in place.
    4. Return to the starting position and repeat.
    5. For added challenge, raise your right leg off the ball. Repeat with your left leg.

    Get more exercise tips:

    • Learn how to choose a fitness ball.
    • Get more core-strength exercises you can do with an exercise ball.
    • Try 15-minute workouts you can do at home.
    • Find ways to incorporate movement into your day.

    Denise Grabowski, M.P.T., is a physical therapist in La Crosse, Wisconsin.


    For the safety of our patients, staff and visitors, Mayo Clinic has strict masking policies in place. Anyone shown without a mask was either recorded prior to COVID-19 or recorded in a non-patient care area where social distancing and other safety protocols were followed.
    Topics in this Post
    • Learn ways to get and stay physically fit
    • Back Pain
    • Neurosurgery
    • Exercise and Fitness

    Stay Connected

    • Hometown Health

    Find Out What’s Happening in Your Community

    Stay Informed with the Latest
    • Notice of Nondiscrimination
    • Notice of Privacy Practices
    • Terms of Use
    © 2018 - 2020 Mayo Clinic Health System