It starts with the idea of “core exercises“. Core exercises work on your abdomen, particularly the lower abs, and also should include all the muscles; front, back, and side, at the level of the lower abdomen. These type of exercises significantly help stabilize the [...]]]> DelRe Core Isometrics

I developed this exercise about 3 years ago.

It starts with the idea of “core exercises“. Core exercises work on your abdomen, particularly the lower abs, and also should include all the muscles; front, back, and side, at the level of the lower abdomen. These type of exercises significantly help stabilize the low back, and have many other benefits.

Since many people don’t do these, unless forced by recent pain, I came up with some isometrics that can be done anytime in the day, as often as you remember. I supply a wrist band to my patients, (and myself,) which reminds me throughout the day to do the isometrics.

This isometric exercise has two parts, which you do at the same time, (sort of…)

First, we start with the “Deer Exercise“. This goes back over 2000 years in Chinese medicine. It is said it leads to a long life. It is basically the same thing as the Kegel Exercise given to people, (mostly women,) who have urinary incontinence. The simplest way to say it is you use your perineal muscles, (the muscles in your crotch,) to tighten as if you are trying to stop your urine flow mid-stream. This is an important exercise for a long life because it tightens the muscle layer that forms a sort of “wagon-wheel trampoline”,  in the bottom of the pelvic bowl. This is the area that is large enough to pass a baby through, and men have the same opening, only a bit smaller. When we age, gravity pulls all those heavy organs down, down, down, into the pelvic bowl, and that trampoline “sags”, causing problems. This exercise lifts all that, and keeps the perineal muscles toned.

Secondly, we tighten the lower abdominal muscles and hold all of that, for as long as we can remember. (For me, that’s a minute or two at best, because I’m usually busy doing something.)

If you only tighten the lower abdominal muscles, over and over, you are pushing whatever is below them downwards. That’s bad because it can cause hemorrhoids.

So, always start with the Deer Exercise, and while holding it, follow a moment later by the lower abdominal tightening, and hold both for as long as you like. I have been doing this for at least 3 years, and I believe I look better because of it. I don’t have a problem with low back pain myself, but my patients have told me it helps, as well as others with no treatment at all.

This will also improve posture.