Strengthening Exercises

Muscles

Traditional uni-planar exercises

Recommendations

Multi-planar exercises

Mostly rectus abdominus, external obliques internal obliques transverse abdominus

No transverse and frontal plane stabilization & lumbo-pelvic force closure.

There is only movement in the sagittal plane. These muscles are multi-planar movers. Therefore, use a Swiss ball crunch that stabilizes the lumbo-pelvis in all planes.

Patient has to enforce transverse and frontal plane stabilization that increases lumbo-pelvic force closure. This exercise counters an anteriorly tilted pelvis.

Contra-lateral external obliques and ipsi-lateral obliques

No frontal and transverse plane stabilization and no lumbo-pelvic force closure.

There is movement in the transverse plane in an open-kinetic chain movement. There is no frontal plane movement. Therefore, use a Swiss ball crunch that stabilizes the lumbo-pelvis in all planes.

Patient has to enforce frontal and sagittal plane stabilization that increases lumbo-pelvic force closure. This exercise counters an anteriorly tilted pelvic.

Hip abductors (gluteus medius and minimus)

Frontal plane movement in an open-kinetic chain movement. However, hip abductors need to be strengthened in a closed-kinetic chain movement.

This exercise needs to strengthen hip abductors in a closed-kinetic chain movement to directly rehabilitate Trendelenburg gait.

This exercise activates the muscles in a closed-kinetic chain movement, countering Trendelenburg gait.

Hip abductors (gluteus medius and minimus)

Frontal plane movement in an open-kinetic chain movement. However, hip abductors need to be strengthened in a closed-kinetic chain movement.

This exercise needs to strengthen hip abductors in a closed-kinetic chain movement to directly rehabilitate Trendelenburg gait.

This exercise activates the targeted muscles in a closed-kinetic chain movement, countering Trendelenburg gait. The ipsi-lateral leg is in contact with ground, while the contra-lateral hip flexors are activated.