7 Essential Core Moves & Progressions

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1 Reducing knee pain and strengthening your knees takes more than just cycling. Cycling is the lubricant for your knees and strengthens them in many ways. For the best chance at keeping your knees the strongest and healthiest they can be, add strength training, core exercises, and stretching. Why? If you have a muscle weakness, your body is incredibly good at finding a way to compensate. Compensation, however, can lead to other problems by over-using the muscles that are taking on more work. Pretty soon you might have knots and pain in other places. Or find you are always favoring your calf or have a nagging hip injury. The way to keep your knees in tune is by strengthening all of the muscles that help your knees do their work. The exercises I provide are, by no means, an exhaustive list. They are my bare bones must haves for taking care of your knees. They are just the very top crystal of ice in a very large iceberg. There are so many awesome exercises for leg strength, core strength, and stretching! Start with the Start and work up to repetitions, holding good form. Once you can do this, you are ready for the next advancement.

2 HK Core #1: Bird Dog Progressions If the start position on hands and knees does not work for you, try doing this move standing. You ll still get some of the benefits! As you lift your leg behind you, engage your glute (butt) and only lift as high as you can without arching your back. If you don t feel like you are doing this right, try poking yourself in the butt of the lifting leg and making that muscle tense. Start: In tabletop position (on hands and knees with a flat back) extend one arm without shifting your hips. Next, extend one leg without shifting your hips. When you can do this for both arms and both legs without shifting your hips, go to advance 1. Note: You can do this exercise to some extent while standing. Advance 1: Lift and extend (reach!) opposite arm and leg without shifting your hips. Hold, return to table top. Alternate with the other side. When you can do this for both combos of arm/leg, go to advance 2. Advance 2: Add in an elbow to knee crunch. After you extend and reach your arm and leg, bring your knee and elbow together under your belly for a crunch. Tighten your abdominal muscles as you do this: pull your belly in like you are zipping up a tight pair of pants.

3 HK Core #2: Back Extension Progressions Paying special attention to your back is one of the best things you can do for your body! Start: Lying prone on your belly (face down), place your hands on the floor by your shoulders. Use your hands to support (not push) as you lift your shoulders and chest off the ground. Keep your head in a neutral position. Only rise about eight inches try NOT to engage your glute muscles (your bottom). Advance 1: Place your hands under your forehead and only use the muscles of your lower back to lift off the floor. Advance 2: ½ Superman Extend your arms while facing down. Lift one arm and opposite leg about 8 inches off the floor. Hold for two counts then switch arm and leg combo. Advance 3: Superman! Extend both arms and legs and reach as you lift your shoulders and chest off the ground. Advance 4: Super Swimmer! While your arms and legs are extended and your shoulders and chest are lifted off the floor, flutter your arms and legs for about 10 seconds or more as you build strength.

4 HK Core #3: Sit-Up Progressions Crunch Start: Lying supine on the floor supine (face up) with your knees bent and feet as close to your hiney as you can get them, put your hands on the floor by your hips and lift your shoulders and upper back off the floor as you slide your fingertips toward your hips. Engage your abdominals like you are pulling in your belly to zip up your pants and sliding your ribcage toward your hips. Crunch Advance 1: Do the same movement, but place your hands on your chest or behind your head for support (Do not pull with your arms)

5 Reverse Crunch: Start in the same position, with hands on the floor by your hips and knees bent. Without changing the bend in your knees, bring your knees toward your chest lifting your feet off the floor. Double Crunch: With your hands behind your head for support (not to pull), do both the crunch and reverse crunch at the same time: bring your bent knees toward your chest as you crunch your chest toward your knees.

6 HK Core #4: Twist Progressions Waiter s Tray Start: Standing with your elbows pinned to your sides and your forearms parallel to the floor and palms facing in, keep your hips directed forward and twist at the waist (also rotating your shoulders) to the right and left. Keep your hips stable and pointing forward! Waiter s Tray Advance: Add a dumbbell or medicine ball held between your hands.

7 Bicycle Crunch: Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed and feeling like you are pulling your navel toward your spine. With your hands behind your head, lift your shoulder blade off the ground as you bring your elbow toward the opposite knee that is bent. Now, alternate! Think bicycle with your legs, rotating each opposite elbow toward your knee as it comes to your chest. Hover your extended leg over the floor but try not to touch the floor. No need to sprint with your legs, it is better to do this more slowly with intention. Be sure NOT to pull on your head or neck with the support of your hands. Vary going super slow and a moderate pace. Bicycle Crunch Standing Option: If lying on the floor for this move is too much for you, try it standing up! Place your hands on your head with your elbows wide, lift opposite knee to elbow, alternate.

8 HK Core #5: Side Bend Progressions Side Bend Start: Body Weight Only Standing erect with your hands on the sides of your thighs, bend at the waist to the right, sliding your fingertips toward your knee. Keep your body in the same plane as if you are in a toaster and would get burned if you tipped either way. Alternate side to side, with a pause at the top so that momentum does not carry you from side to side. Side Bend Advance 1: Same movement, but move your hands from your thighs to your head with your elbows high to the sides. Bring your elbow toward your hip and keep your body in the same plane. Side Bend Advance 2: Add one dumbbell. Hold one dumbbell at your thigh and your free hand rests on the outside of your other thigh. Using your oblique (side) muscles, bend toward the free hand, sliding your free hand down your side. Use control in both directions! Complete your set on one side, then switch your dumbbell to the other hand and do your second set.

9 HK Core #6: Leg Lift Progressions Scissor Kick Start: Lying on the ground supine (face up), place your hands just underneath your hips. Raise both legs straight so your heels are pointing to the ceiling. Keep one leg still and lower the other to just above the floor. Hold for a beat, then switch legs. If you cannot lie on the floor or your bed for this move, try it while standing. Keep your body erect (no leaning forward or backward) and keep your leg as straight as possible. Lift your leg as high in front of you as you can without shifting your upper body. Complete one set on one leg, then switch to the other. Advance 1 Double Leg Lift: Start in the same position, now lower both legs to the floor at the same time, hover above the floor and raise back up toward the ceiling.

10 Advance 2 Flutter Kick: Start in the same position, lower both feet to about 12 inches of the ground and flutter kick for 10 seconds or more. Advance 3 Heel Drive: Start in the same position, now lift your hips off the ground as you drive your heels toward the ceiling. Do this motion with as much lift and control as you can. Try not to swing your legs as you lift toward the ceiling.

11 HK Core #7: Hip Bridge Progressions Hip Bridge Start: Lying supine (face up) with your feet as close to your bottom as you can and your hands palms down on the floor by your hips, then 1) Engage your core (tighten your belly) 2) Squeeze your glutes (clench your butt) 3) Lift your hips up to form a straight bridge from your shoulders to your knees. Hold for a count or two, tap your bottom down and repeat. Advance 1 Marching Hip Bridge: Start in the hip lifted position, march your feet. Just lift one leg off the floor with the knee in the same position (do not bend more or less) and alternate marching. Keep your hips stable! Clench your glutes! Do not let one side of your hips lift or drop.

12 Advance 2 Single Leg Hip Bridge: In the supine start position, straighten one leg so that your thighs are parallel and one foot is off the floor. Hold your leg extended, clench the glute of the leg with your foot on the ground and press up into the bridge position. Be aware of your hips! Do not let one side lift or drop as you press into the bridge. Tap down and repeat same side.