Skip navigation

3. Practice Test: Testing the strength of deep back muscles and hip flexors

Task: a belly-down position, arms straight up, heels closely together, the pelvis in the center position. Stretch your body and then lift the arms, the trunk and the legs (arms next to the ears, the face downward); maintain this position for 3 Counts.

The exercise should be repeated 3 times, without fail.

Possible mistakes:

  • the pupil is not able to maintain the position for 3 Counts
  • the arms are not parallel to each other
  • the legs are not lifted up enough 

Exercises which strengthen deep back muscles and hip flexors

1. Starting position: the 'all four' position (hands and knees on floor)

Count 1: bend your arms; lift your bent left leg backwards
Count 2: extend the arms; bring your leg down to the starting position
Count 3-4: repeat Count 1-2 in the opposite direction

2. Starting position: a belly-down position, raise your left arm forward, your right arm at your side

Count 1-4: raise your trunk and reverse your arm positions, parallel with the ground
Count 5-8: Count 1-4, repeat in the opposite direction

3. Starting position: a belly-down position, hands on your nape

Count 1: raise your trunk slightly
Count 2: raise your legs and spread them apart
Count 3: close the legs and bring them down
Count 4: bring the trunk down.

4. Starting position: a belly-down position, hands at the back of your head

Count 1: raise your trunk slightly (face downwards), raise your left arm forward; stretch your right arm backward
Count 2: bend your arms and put them on your nape
Count 3: your right arm stretched forward, your left arm stretched backward
Count 4: lower your trunk and bent your arms on your nape

5. Starting position: a belly-down position, arms stretched down, hands on your butt, palms face upwards

1-4.Count: raise your trunk; slide your hands 'in the back pocket'
5-8.Count: lower your trunk and slide your hands along the spine

6. As in the previous exercise, but the hands are crossed on the butt, and the hands slide simultaneously with raising the trunk; there is also a reversal (when the left hand slides to the right, the trunk turns to the left side)

7. Starting position: a belly-down position, hands at the sides; the trunk is raised slightly, the arm (the middle finger) stretches down toward the knee (the shoulder blades come together and move downward)