Kneel on an exercise mat or floor and come to an all fours position, with the hands below the shoulders and the knees below the hips. Knees and feet are hip-width apart, toes pointing toward your body and your hands positioned shoulder-width apart facing forward. In a catlike move, stiffen your torso while keeping your spine straight, then gently exhale and push your spine upward. Hold this position for 10-15 seconds, then relax downward. Perform 6-10 repetitions.

Kneel on an exercise mat or floor, with your knees and feet hip-width apart and toes pointing toward your body. Slowly lean forward and place your hands on the floor, positioning them under your shoulders and spaced shoulder-width apart with your fingers facing forward. Stiffen your abdominal muscles to keep your spine in a neutral position throughout the exercise, and slowly raise your right leg, straightening it behind you while keeping your hips parallel to the floor. At the same time, raise the left arm and extend it forward with your palms facing downward. Your goal is to keep your hips and both shoulders parallel to the floor. Switch sides by extending your left leg backward while raising the right arm as described above and repeat the opposite arm/opposite leg movements. Perform 6-10 repetitions per side (raise arm and leg on a 2-count; lower arm and leg on a 2-count).

Lie on your back with your knees bent and both feet firmly planted on the floor extending your arms to the side with your palms facing down. Exhale and gently contract your abdominal muscles to flatten your low back into the mat and hold this position briefly. As you inhale, slowly relax your abdominal muscles while gently contracting your low back muscles to increase the arch in your low back without raising your hips off the floor. Hold this position briefly before returning to the starting position. Perform 6-10 repetitions.

Bent Knee Push-up

Kneel on an exercise mat or floor and bring your feet together behind you. Slowly bend forward, placing your palms flat on the mat with your hands shoulder-width apart and fingers facing forward. Slowly shift your weight forward until your shoulders are positioned directly over your hands and with the abdominals engaged slowly lower your body toward the floor. Do not allow your low back to sag or your hips to hike upward as you lower yourself, keeping your elbows close to the sides or flaring outward slightly. Continue to lower until your chest or chin touch the floor, then press upward through the arms until they are fully extended at the elbows. Perform 8-15 repetitions.

Bent-Knee Sit-up / Crunches

Lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat on the floor. Place your hands behind your head, squeezing the shoulder blades together and pulling the elbows back without arching your low back. Align your head with your spine, moving the chin toward the chest during the upward phase of the exercise, as you exhale and slowly curl your torso toward your thighs. Your feet, tailbone and lower back should remain in contact with the mat at all times. Continue curling up until your upper back is lifted off the mat. Hold briefly, then inhale and slowly uncurl your torso back on the floor. Perform 8-15 repetitions.

Bodyweight Squat

Begin standing with your feet slightly wider than hip-width and your toes turned slightly outward and your hands by your sides palms facing inward. With your shoulders down and back, abdominal muscles engaged and weight in your heels, shift your hips backward and downward to create a hinge-like movement at your hips and knees simultaneously. Attempt to keep your back flat and continue to lower until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor, ensuring that the feet stay firmly planted. Then exhale and extend back up to the starting position. Perform 8-15 repetitions.

Contralateral Limb Raises

Lie on your stomach with your legs extended and toes pointing away from your shins. Arms are extended overhead with palms facing each other. Exhale, contract your abdominal/core muscles and slowly raise one arm a few inches off the floor keeping your arm extended and hold briefly. Gently inhale and lower your arm back to your starting position without any movement in your low back or hips. Perform 8-15 repetitions on each side.

Dirty Dog

Kneel on an exercise mat, positioning your knees and feet hip-width apart, with your toes pointing toward your body. Slowly lean forward to place your hands on the mat, positioning them directly under your shoulders with your hands facing forward. Gently stiffen your abdominals to keep your spine neutral, then exhale and gently draw one knee upward toward your chest without allowing your hips and low back to pitch upward or sag down toward the floor. In this knee-tuck position, rotate your hips to move your bent leg across the front of your torso until you cannot rotate any further, avoiding rotating or dropping your hips. Pause briefly then rotate away from your torso without moving the spine. Your head and shoulder should remain level throughout this exercise. Perform 8-15 repetitions.

Forward Lunge

Stand with your feet together. Pull your shoulders down and back without arching your low back, and engage your abdominal muscles to stiffen your spine. Slowly lift one foot off the floor, balancing on your stance leg, and hold momentarily. Then step or lunge forward. Your heel should strike the ground first. Focus more on dropping your hips toward the floor rather than driving your hips forward. Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor while maintaining a flat back. Then push off with your front leg, activating your thighs and butt muscles to return to the upright position. Repeat on opposite side. Perform 8-15 repetitions on each side.

Front Plank

Lie on your stomach with your elbows close to your sides and directly under your shoulders, palms down and fingers facing forward. Contract your thighs to extend your legs, pulling the toes toward your shins, and engage your abdominal muscles to stiffen your torso. Slowly lift your torso off the ground and hold this position, avoiding any sagging in the low back, hiking of the hips or bending of the knees. Don’t forget to breathe as you hold this position, keeping the shoulders positioned directly over the elbows, then gently lower your body back toward the floor. Hold for 5-20 seconds.

Glute Bridge

Lie on your back with your knees in a bent position and your feet planted firmly on the ground. Place your feet hip-width apart with the toes facing away from you. Gently contract your abdominal muscles to flatten your low back into the floor, and maintain this contraction throughout the exercise. As you exhale press your hips upward off the floor squeezing your butt muscles while keeping your torso tight. Inhale and slowly lower back to the ground. Avoid lifting the hips too high, which creates arching in the low back. Inhale and slowly yourself back toward your starting position. Perform 8-15 repetitions (push hips up on a 2-count, hold at the top for a 2-count, lower back down on a 4-count).

Side Plank with Bent Knee

Lie on your right side on an exercise mat with your left leg lying directly over your right leg with your knees bent. Raise your upper body to support yourself on your right arm with your right elbow bent to 90 degrees and positioned directly under your shoulder. Align your head with your spine and keep your hips and lower knee in contact with the exercise mat. Exhale, gently contract your abdominals to stiffen your spine, and lift your hips off the mat while keeping your knees on the mat and your head aligned with your spine. Hold briefly, then inhale and return to the starting position and repeat. Hold for 5-20 seconds on each side.

Cobra

Lie on your stomach with your hands by your sides positioned directly under your shoulders and hands facing forward. Extend your legs pointing your toes away from your body. Gently exhale and press your hips into the mat or floor and pull your chest away from the ground while keeping your hips stable. Hold this position for 15-30 seconds, then relax and lower back down to the floor.

Downward-facing Dog

Kneel on an exercise mat or floor and bring your feet hip-width apart. Slowly bend forward, placing your palms flat on the mat while positioning your hands shoulder-width apart with your fingers facing forward. Slowly lift yourself into a push-up position, shifting until your shoulders are positioned directly over your hands. Reposition your feet as needed to allow full extension of your body. Stiffen your torso by contracting your abdominal muscles to prevent any arching in your low back or hiking of your hips. Slowly exhale and shift your weight back by pushing your hips backward and upward attempting to draw your heels toward the floor while slowly moving your head between your shoulders. Continue moving until your body forms an inverted-V, keeping both arms and legs extended and the flat back, allowing a slight bend in your knees if needed. Hold this position for 15-30 seconds, then inhale and return your body to the starting position.