Core Exercises for Women- Abdominal Toning Ball Routine

Do you want safe core exercises for strengthening?

Get started now with these core exercises for women that strengthen and tone the lower abdominal core muscles.

These core exercises are suitable for women with prolapse problems, after hysterectomy or prolapse surgery.

Video duration: 4.5 minutes

Features: Guided core exercises for women set to music

Please scroll down below this video for written guidelines for these core exercises. We welcome your comments and questions below.

Prolapse Exercises e-Book

International best selling prolapse exercise guide for women with prolapse and after prolapse surgery.

Prolapse Exercises teaches you how to:

• Exercise safely after prolapse surgery
• Reduce your risk or repeat prolapse
• Avoid unsafe exercises
• Choose pelvic floor safe exercises
• Reduce your risk of prolapse worsening
• Improve prolapse support
• Increase your strength and fitness
• Strengthen your core
• Lose weight

Core Exercises for Women Suitability

These core exercises are suited to women seeking tummy toning exercises for core muscles with:

• Weak lower abdominal muscles
• Prolapse
• After prolapse surgery*
• After hysterectomy*
• Weak pelvic floor muscles
• Current pregnancy
• After childbirth
• Bladder control problems
• Bowel control problems
• Lower back problems

* Please obtain your specialist’s approval to return to general exercise before attempting these exercises.

If your balance is poor you may choose to start these exercises sitting on a chair or placing your exercise ball against a wall for support.

Benefits of Core Exercises for Women

Appropriate abdominal core exercises can benefit women in a number of ways:

• Improving lower abdominal strength and tone
• Improving pelvic floor function
• Improving lower back and pelvic support and control
• Improving posture
• Recovering abdominal muscle tone after abdominal surgery
• Regaining core strength and support after pregnancy and childbirth

Overview of Core Exercises Video Content

This exercise routine shows you how to:

• Correct your posture for seated core exercises
• Activate your core abdominal muscles
• Progress through a series of 3 seated exercise ball core exercises

1. Correct Posture for Core Exercises

To correct your posture for effective core exercises:

• Lift the crown of your head towards the ceiling
• Lengthen your spine
• Relax your shoulders back and down

2. Activate your Deep Core Abdominal Muscles

To correctly activate your inner deep core abdominal muscles:

• Place your fingers over your lower abdominal wall feeling just inside your pelvic bones (just below waist level and directly beneath your briefs)
• Gently activate your deep abdominal muscles by drawing your lower abdominal muscles inwards towards your spine*
• Feel the gentle contraction of the abdominal wall underneath your fingers
• Breathe normally using correct breathing technique as you maintain this contraction
• Relax your abdominal muscles before repeating again

*This is a very gentle activation of the abdominal muscles, avoid strongly contracting your abdominal muscles. Your outer abdominal muscles (i.e. six pack muscles) should remain quite relaxed throughout these core exercises.

Avoid the common tendency to over brace the abdominal muscles – contract your abdominal muscles gently never strongly to protect your pelvic floor.

3. Core Exercise Progressions

Progress your exercises by gradually adding a little more challenge to each exercise.

• Commence with seated activation of your deep core abdominal muscles
• Double arm reaches maintaining deep core abdominal activation throughout
• Single arm reaches maintaining deep core abdominal activation throughout
• Single knee lifts maintaining deep core abdominal activation throughout

How the Progression Exercises Strengthen your Core

These core progression exercises involve moving the limbs. Moving your limbs while sitting on the exercise ball adds a destabilising force to your body that makes your body less balanced.

Your trunk muscles (including your deep abdominal muscles) then need to work harder to keep your body upright and maintain your balanced upright posture.

Take your time to work through the progression exercises in succession – each exercise builds upon the previous one. Try to master each progression before progressing to the next exercise.

Key Points for Successful Core Exercises for Women

Appropriate core exercises can benefit your body and restore deep abdominal muscle strength and control.

The key to successful core exercises is getting your technique correct from the outset, in particular avoiding over bracing of the abdominal muscles which can worsen pelvic floor problems.

Take your time and progress your core exercises gradually as your core strength improves.