Lie down the floor on your back with your knees bent and at chest level. Place your arms to your side and flat on the floor.
STEP 2
Alternate extending your legs by first extending one leg straight out while the other still remains bent. As your bring in your extended leg to chest level, extend the other leg straight out.
STEP 3
Repeat the movement as if you were riding a bicycle.
STEP 4
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Special Notes
If you want to decrease the level of difficulty, simply extend your legs less. To increase the difficulty level you will hold each leg in the extended position for 1 second before you bend it back again.
This exercise is ideal for beginners because it's low impact for the back and it's also comfortable for your neck. This is the type of exercise that you should once in a while. In other words, it's not the most effective core exercise. It's good for a beginner level effort, but if you want more effective abdominal exercises you will have to select ones that have a higher level of difficulty.
One final point worthy of mention is that if you have lower back problems and still want to exercise your core, this is one of the best exercises you can do. The fact that your neck and back are flat on the floor and your arms at your sides means that the body is very comfortable in this position. This is why senior citizens in particular like this exercise.
