Ab Exercises With A Tailbone Injury

Having a tailbone injury should not prevent you from doing effective abdominal exercises. Some exercises such as abdominal v-ups, rollups, rollovers and bent-knee situps should be avoided because they require you to balance on your tailbone or roll your body up into a seated position, causing the tailbone to tilt into the floor. When performed correctly, the abdominal exercises below will keep your core stabilized while adding minimal, if any, pressure to the tailbone or its surrounding areas.

Abdominal Crunch

Lie supine on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Tilt your pelvis toward your head and contract your abdominal muscles to flatten your lower back into the floor. If you still can't get your lower back flat on the floor, draw your feet closer to your body and try again. Interlock your fingers behind your head and keep your elbows wide. With your chin driving straight up, crunch up by lifting your head, neck and shoulder blades off the floor. Pause briefly and return to the starting position.

Crunch on Stability Ball

Sit upright on a stability ball with your feet and knees spaced at hip-width. Engage your abs and slowly begin lowering your back onto the ball by walking your feet away from your body, one foot at a time. Once the natural curve of your lower back is below the top of the ball, lean back so that your torso is parallel to the floor. Interlock your fingers behind your head and keep your elbows wide. Adjust your feet so that your knees form 90-degree angles above your ankles. Keep your abs contracted and do not let the ball roll as you slowly crunch up until you are balancing on the ball with your lower back. Pause and return to the starting position with control.

Side-lying Double Leg Raise

Lie on the floor on your left side and stack your feet on top of each other. Cup your neck with your left hand and position your right hand on the floor in front of your chest for balance. Keep your legs stacked and lift both legs off the floor as high as possible without falling backward. Pause at your highest point with good form and slowly return both legs to the starting position.

Plank

Kneel down on the floor and lean forward to place your elbows on the floor beneath your shoulders. Keep your forearms in a straight line ahead of your elbows and turn your palms to the floor. Engage and stabilize your core. One at a time, lift your knees off the floor to extend your legs and balance your body weight between your toes and forearms. Hold this position for 20 to 30 seconds and lower back to your starting position.