There's only so much time for exercise in the morning, so what's the fastest way to better glutes and abdominals to prevent injury to your back at home? Well, according to the latest electromyographic research studies, there are a few exercises for your core and hips that activate the majority of muscle fibers. You can see some of the exercises cross over on their firing ability, making it easy to get these muscles stronger.

• Abdominals:

1) Swiss ball push-ups: You can do these without a ball in modified or regular push-up position. Remember to pull in your lower tummy muscles, you can feel these muscles where you would put your hands in your pants pockets.

2) Swiss ball front plank: You can also do these without ball as well, on your elbows or hands. Hold the position and pull in the lower tummy muscles (the transverse abdomonis muscle) as you do it.

3) Side plank for oblique abdominals

• Posterior Gluteus Maximus:

1) Forward step up

2) Single limb dead lift

3) Single limb squat

4) Wall squats

• Lateral hip muscles:

1) Side plank

2) Single leg dead lift

3) Single leg squats

4) Side hip lifts

Your back needs protection and support and your abdominal and gluteal muscles provide that for your body. Your abdominal muscles support the anterior core and give a counterforce to your back. They wrap around the lateral part of the trunk and stabilize all the way into the layers of the pelvic floor via myofascial tissue. Any dynamic motions of lifting, carrying, pushing or pulling require these muscles to know how to contract, otherwise you can hurt your back. Degenerative changes occur when we are not mechanically firing our abdominal and gluteal muscles well to support and protect the back.

The gluteal muscles are just as important as well. There are posterior and lateral gluteal muscles. The posterior group is the biggest group with the gluteus maximus and hamstrings as prime movers. The lateral glutes are made up of three main muscles: the gluteus medius, gluteus minimus and tensor fasciae latae, which stabilize the pelvic girdle in single leg positions whether walking or running. If one leg is only on the ground, the lateral hip muscles are responsible for good pelvic girdle control in the frontal plane, so they must be strong — otherwise your liotibial band is overworked and becomes too tight. So check your lateral hip muscles and see how strong they are — if your liotibial band is too tight, it could be one of the reasons you are having trouble.

These quick easy ways to wake-up these muscles can keep your back safe this summer while hiking, backpacking, water skiing, wake boarding and paddle boarding. Take care of your back, you need it to be healthy.

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Sheree DiBiase, PT, is the owner of Lake City Physical Therapy, and she and her amazing staff are happy to help you make your body better. Call us in Coeur d'Alene at (208) 667-1999, in Hayden at (208) 762-2100 and in the Spokane Valley at (509) 891-2623. Visit us online at www.lakecitypt.com.