Core Strengthening Exercises for Scoliosis
Improve your management of scoliosis with targeted core strengthening exercises for better health and wellness.
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Strong core muscles support better posture and improve spinal stability. At Rady Children’s Health, our clinicians design personalized therapy programs for children and individuals with scoliosis and other spinal conditions, combining in-clinic care with effective at-home exercises for the best outcome. We’re here to keep you active, confident, and growing strong.
Let’s start with the prone plank. Start on your stomach, then push up onto your forearms and toes, keeping your back straight like a board.
Hold for 15 to 30 seconds, and repeat up to three times. This strengthens the entire core and helps stabilize the spine, and pelvis, and hips.
Next is the bird dog. On hands and knees, find a flat back position. Draw the belly button toward the spine as you extend one arm and the opposite leg. Hold for three seconds, then switch sides. This builds strength, coordination, and supports lower back stability.
Now, try the dead bug. Lie on your back with arms and knees raised, and the core engaged. Slowly lower one arm and the opposite foot toward the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other arm and leg. Perform 10 repetitions on each side. This exercise helps train the core control and spinal stability.
Next are air squats. Standing with feet shoulder-width apart, bend at the hips and knees as if sitting back into a chair, keeping the chest tall and the back straight. Air squats strengthen the hips and legs, which are crucial for spinal support.
We’ll finish this core strengthening series with a few lower body stretches.
Hamstring stretch: Lie on your back with knees bent. Bring one knee to the chest and hold behind the thigh or knee with both hands. Slowly straighten the leg until a moderate stretch is felt in the back of the thigh. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch sides. Repeat three times per leg.
Hip flexor stretch: Begin in a kneeling position with one knee on the floor and the opposite foot in front. Gently tilt the pelvis and engage the core. Then shift your weight slightly forward. You should feel a stretch along the front of the hip and thigh of the back leg. Hold for 30 seconds and repeat on the other side. Perform three times per side.
