Thanks everyone! I think the turkish stand ups are out for now but everything else sounds great (the motion of sitting up from laying is out - supposedly frowned upon permanently - though I don't know if it's a muscle thing or a fused vertebrae thing).

Is there anything that targets specifically the upper core? My lower back takes the stress from most exercises like plank, etc. and it aches constantly. It's getting stronger but it would be nice if the rest of my core could help out It might be just a process of trying to focus on holding myself steady with the rest of my core but if I could give it a break I'd love to.

Thanks again - I tried a yoga class the other day and realize I was still much farther from my pre-wreck fitness than I thought. Though it was pretty funny to be thinking to myself "oh, this feels like I'm arching my back like (xyz pose) calls for" and then look in the mirror and realize it's still perfectly straight