Your pelvis is made up of your sacrum, tail bone, ilium, ischium and pubic bones. Your abdominal, spinal erectors, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps and hip flexor muscles all attach to these bones, creating movement and stability at your hips and spine. Perform exercises for your lower back, abs, hips and legs to strengthen your pelvic bones. The American College of Sports Medicine encourages you to use progressively heavier weights to continue to improve the health of your bones.
Unstable Medicine Ball Throws
Medicine ball throws activate your spinal erector and abdominal muscles. Stand on core disc pillows when throwing a medicine ball to increase the difficulty of the exercise. Place the pillows 10 feet away from a rebounder and place one foot on each pillow. Complete an overhead throw by rapidly and forcefully throwing the ball against the center of the rebounder. Prepare to catch the ball quickly then immediately throw it back. Do three sets of 10 throws. The Nationally Strength and Conditioning Association advises using heavier medicine balls to increase the intensity of overhead throws.
Lunges
Lunges engage the powerful muscles of your legs--your glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps and inner thigh muscles. These muscles originate at various points of your pelvic bones then insert on your thigh bone. Start with just your body weight then carry progressively heavier dumbbells. Perform a lunge by stepping your right leg in front of you, bending your right knee and right hip to form almost 90 degrees. Your left hip and knee joints should also bend to near 90 degrees. Stand and repeat on the other leg. Complete three sets of 10 reps per leg.
Lying Leg Raises
Lying leg raises focus on your hip flexors and your abdominal muscles. These muscles begin on the inside of your pelvic bones then insert onto your thigh bone. Do this exercise on the floor or on a flat bench. Lie flat on your back. Straighten your legs above your hips then contract your abdominal muscles by sucking your navel toward your spine. Slowly lower both legs as far as you can then return to the start position. Repeat for three sets of 10.
References
- "Anatomy & Physiology"; Gary Thibodeau, Ph.D. and Kevin Patton, Ph.D.; 2007
- American College of Sports Medicine: Physical Activity and Bone Health
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; Thomas R. Baechle and Roger W. Earle; 2000
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