Preparation
Lay down on the floor face-up. Use a gymnastic mat towel or soft back support pillow to support your lumbar spine if needed. Seek advice from a physical therapist or trainer to understand how to perform this exercise without putting a strain on the lumbar spine
Start Position
Engage your abdominals. This moves the rib cage and pelvis towards each other and straightens the lumbar spine towards the floor. The shoulder blades get off the floor at the same time. Keep the neck neutral and relatively relaxed with the chin tucked in. Touch the back of the head lightly with the fingers of both hands. Alternatively the arms can be straight pointing to the ceiling or folded on the chest. They should stay relaxed and not be involved in the movement at all. Build up the strength to hold this position before you continue with the full move
2‹Þ
Pull the rib cage even closer towards the pelvis. Keep the neck straight and relatively relaxed while the shoulders move up from the floor
End Position
Make the movement as wide as the flexibility of the spine allows. It is more important to actively contract the abdominals than how far your shoulders reach up from the floor. Hold the end position for a while
2‹Þ
Slowly let the shoulders sink back towards the floor again. Keep the abdominals engaged to make the movement slow and controlled.
Repeat
Back to the start position. Repeat for the planned number of times. Stop immediately should you feel any pain or discomfort in the spine
Purpose
Strengthen the abdominals