Core Body Exercises
There are many exercises that can be done for your body's core muscles (here we will review a few good choices). When these muscles are strengthened and toned, they will help support the spine and aid in good overall posture. Working these muscles will also help ward off low back pain, which is a frequent plague for folks who have desk jobs. It is critical that your strength training regimen include working these muscle groups.
Your core muscles primarily include the abdominals (abs) in the front and the low back muscles on the other side. You need to try to keep these muscles in balance - don't focus too much on one side at the expense of the other.
The most well-known ab workout might be situps, which can be done in several variations. In this classic exercise, the participant sits with their knees bent, and one repetition consists of lowering the upper body to the floor and then back up to touch the knees. Usually the hands are placed behind the head. A slight twisting motion can be done, alternating sides, to increase the difficulty as well as add in the obliques (side muscles) to the workout. An incline can be added, raising the feet higher and making each rep a little harder.
Crunches are also very popular. In the simplest form, the participant is laying flat on their back, and then raises their head and shoulder blades off the floor while keeping the rest of their body in place. There are also jack-knife crunches where both the upper body and lower body are raised off the floor, meeting in the middle. These can be done with the hands behind the head, on the chest, or held straight and parallel to the body. For a more intense workout, the head and legs can be kept from touching the floor throughout the set.
There are also wheels and variations of wheels that you can use.
For the low back, hyperextensions are a great way to strengthen those critical muscles.
ExRx.net, a great reference for various exercises, has a good description of hyperextensions.
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