Superman Exercise on Floor
Starting
Position
- The superman exercise
requires you to kneel on your hands and knees, hands below your
shoulders, and knees below your hips.
- Use a yoga mat or pillow if
you find it uncomfortable on your knees.
- Keep your lumbar spine in
the neutral
position.
- Ensure your upper back is
also extended, chest up and shoulders back.
- Set your core muscles,
bracing your abdominals.
- Keep your neck straight and
chin tucked in.
- Press your tongue to the
roof of your mouth
- Stay relaxed and keep
breathing.
Action
- Slowly slide one leg
backwards, extending the knee and lifting the foot.
- At the same time lift the
opposite arm.
- As you extend the leg back
and arm up, use your core muscles to maintain a neutral lumbar spine
and level pelvis.
- Hold this position.
Prime
Movers:
Glutes, back extensors, hamstrings,
deltoid.
Physio
Tips
- Try the Abdominal
Hollowing exercise while your on
your hands and knees and try to maintain this throughout this exercise.
- If you find this very
difficult you may find it easier to lift your
leg, get your balance and then lift your arm once you feel stable.
- Movements should be slow and
controlled while you concentrate on breathing normally and engaging
your abdominals.
Progression
- Superman
on the exercise ball.
- If you feel you're not ready
to add the ball yet, you can still
make this more difficult by adding light ankle and wrist weights, or
just holding onto a light dumbbell (1-2kg).
The superman exercise on the floor is a good exercise on many levels.
Not only does it force the trunk stabilizers to work in maintaining a
stable spine but it also uses the often neglected scapular rotators.
The rhomboids, middle and lower trapezius muscles work to rotate and
retract the shoulder blade to allow the arm to be elevated. Weaknesses
in the scapular rotators can lead to rotator cuff impingement,
tendonitis and bursitis. If you have shoulder pain doing this exercise
you may have underlying shoulder issues and you should consult your
physical therapist.
This exercise is also good for the
gluteal muscles. The large muscles that extend the hip often weaken in
people that sit for prolonged periods. Weak glutes can contribute to
both back and knee pain.
Hold this position for
5 seconds and repeat 10 times.
Hold this position for
10 seconds and repeat 10 times.
Hold this position for
45 seconds and repeat 5 times.
