Extremely gentle core stability exercises?

[tree500]

I posted this in the health section too, but thought there might be some people here with expertise.

I'm recovering from an illness that has made me housebound for months, and starting to do very short walks and a few exercises. I get very tired after short car journeys and short journeys on a mobility scooter, and I think this might be partly due to my core muscles being too weak for handling bumps and so on. Could anyone link to some very gentle exercises too help? The ones I've found online seem to be aimed at quite fit people. I have an exercise ball but don't know whether that's a bit too advanced.

Thanks.

Hope someone can help you with this shortly.
I dont know if you have seen it,but I have started a support thread in this section for unfit people to help them get fitter,which you are very welcome to join.

The very gentlest Pilates exercise I know is the starter level for 'plank', which it's pretty much just lying face down on a hard surface and scooping your tummy muscles up for a slow count of 10, rest and repeat a few times.

But are you able to get up from the floor easily?

Oh, just sitting on the exercise ball instead of a sofa will exercise your core muscles. Street a few goes of that, start raising one leg at a time to increase the exercise.

*after, not street

That sounds good Wonderful. So I lie on my carpet and kind of pull in my stomach muscles? Is there any specific technique, or is it just normal pulling your tummy in?

I tried sitting on the ball but found it very wobbly and tiring (after like 20 seconds!), I think perhaps I need to have more strength before I start that. Or do you think I should do extremely short sits on the ball?

If you sit on your exercise ball, knees together in front of you, as you are sitting slowly extend your left leg, hold for count of 5 and bend back down and repeat with the right leg, do it 10 time each side. It may feel like you are doing nothing but just sitting on the ball works your core, as the muscles are constantly working to keep you balanced and upright, by adding the leg lift you make them work a little harder each time you life your leg.

Start with short sits a few times a day, 20 secs a time, then up it to 30 and so on until you can sit without the tiredness, then add in the left lifts.

To scoop your tummy in, visualise trying to bring your navel to your spine, if that makes sense.

Also, do lots of your pelvic floor exercises - there's a great thread somewhere where nankypeevy explains them really well.

Even just pulling in your tummy and doing some pelvic floors from time to time will start building your core, just do as much as you can and add more moves in when you're ready.

Great, I'll give it a go. Thanks for the advice.