Does your back arch excessively when you skate, leading to lower back pain? ⚡️ That excessive curve in the lower back is called an anterior pelvic tilt, and it’s usually linked to a weak core and a sore lower back.

The solution? Core exercises 😈 Learning how to brace your core correctly can help keep your spine in a more neutral position when you skate.

Here are some core exercise that can help:

1️⃣ Dead Bug (yes, unfortunately, that’s the real name..) - from your back, extend your arms up and bend your knees so your shins are parallel to the floor. Extend one arm as you lower the opposite leg, heel hovering just an inch above the floor. Keep alternating sides, keeping your entire back connected to the floor.

2️⃣ Balancing tabletop crunches - from all 4s, extend one arm as you lift the opposite leg, creating a straight line (look down, and keep your back straight). Touch your elbow to your knee into a crunch, then re-extend the arm and leg. Keep going 10-20 times on one side before switching to the other.

3️⃣ Plank + knee to elbow - from plank, touch your right knee to your left elbow. Keep alternating sides. Go slow, and control every part of the movement.

4️⃣ Side plank + rotation - from side plank (on your forearm), extend the top arm towards the sky and thread it underneath you for a rotation. Keep the hips up, the ribs in, and the movement slow.

💪 Go for CONTROL in all of these movements, keeping the tension in your core at all times. Remember, we’re trying to build strength and stability at the core here - not just flop into shapes :)

💡For chronic back pain peeps - keep in mind that lower back pain can have many different causes/reasons. Weak core, weak glutes, hip imbalances, the list goes on… There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for back pain, and it might take some trial and error to find what alleviates the pain for you.