Off Duty, Military Health and Fitness - Navy Times

Military Muscle: Posture, abs key to back strength

Trunk strength, spine stability and proper back positioning are so crucial to overall health and injury prevention that I’ve already devoted an entire column to them (“Put your back to good use,” Jan. 4).

Here’s what else you need to know:

Posture

This is the most elemental and the most ignored facet of back strengthening. Shoulders rolled forward, your chin down, a slight slouch and relaxed abs all combine to create the toxic brew of a weak core and an injury-prone back. These posture deviations have become common in walking and sitting. If you do nothing but raise your head, roll your shoulders back and lift your chest, you will be making progress in improving your posture.

Tell those around you that you’re working on your posture, and ask them to tell you when you slouch. Several times a day, brace your abs for a few minutes. Contract all your abdominal muscles — but do not suck in or push out. Imagine having a very expensive Faberge egg at the center of your core and that all of your ab muscles around that egg are packing material. Contract those muscles so that they gently cradle the egg. Perform this both sitting and standing.

Obliques and transverse abs

Side planks (the isometric style in which you maintain a straight line in the raised position, lying on the left or the right side with your body raised) are a way to strengthen your obliques. Try the dynamic version in which you drop your hip to the floor and raise it again to form a straight line. This version activates the external and internal obliques and the transverse abdominals to an even greater degree.

In the side bridge, put the top foot in front of the bottom foot, then roll forward to a 45-degree (or more) position before rolling back into the standard side-plank position. Slow and controlled, hold the start, middle and end positions for about 10 seconds each.

Progressing activities, such as floor-based bridging or placing your feet on a balance ball while bridging, activate the obliques and transverse abs as you try to keep your spine motionless. Take it to an even higher level by raising one of your legs off the ball.

A note to seniors: Try doing a side plank where you are supported by your forearm but also supported by your hip and upper leg resting on the floor with your knees bent at 90 degrees. Progress to the dynamic version by raising your hip until only your knee is in contact with the floor.

These simple movements will help your posture and keep your back in tip-top shape.

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Bob Thomas, a fitness trainer and retired naval flight officer, is director of the Navy Wellness Center in Pensacola, Fla. His e-mail is bthomas@militarytimes.com.