Why do you need to stretch before starting to exercise your back muscles?
Stretching relaxes your mind and tunes your body. If it is done properly stretching:
The right way to stretch involves having relaxed, sustained moves with your attention focused on the muscle being stretched. While stretching, avoid bouncing up and down, making jerky movements, or pulling muscles to the point of pain.
- context reduces muscle tension;
- context promotes cardiorespiratory function;
- context improves body awareness;
- context multiplies the good effect of the back exercises to follow.
Stretching
This exercise stretches the muscles of the thighs and lower legs as well as joints such as the hips, knees, and ankles.
The Right Way
The Wrong Way
Avoid:
* If you are unable to bend your knee high enough to grab the ankle without bending and twisting your whole body, then use an exercise strap or a strap made out of a belt or scarf -- see Figure 2B. After a few trials you should be able to do it without the exercise strap.
- context Lunge with the left leg
- context Keep your left foot flat on the ground and the spine perpendicular.
- context Keep the back knee flexed.
- context Keep the torso upright with the lumbar spine neutral.
- context Maintain this position for about 10 seconds, while gently deepening the lunge and maintaining the torso upright.
- context Alternate legs and repeat exercise.
- context Straightening the back leg.
- context Resting your hand on your knee to support the upper body.
- context Bending or twisting back.
- context Stand beside a solid chair or anything that you can hold onto to maintain your balance.
- context Bend your knee on the opposite side and grab the ankle with your other hand.*
- context Pull up the ankle trying to touch your buttock on the same side.
- context Hold this position for 5 to 10 seconds.
- context Gently release your grasp and slowly lower your foot to the ground.
- context Do not move the knee throughout the whole stretch.
- context Change sides and repeat the exercise with the other leg.
How do you exercise your neck muscles?
Exercises that can improve the endurance of your neck muscles will also make the curl-ups that build endurance in the abdominal muscles easier and more effective.
- context Exercises should be done in a sitting position with your feet firmly planted on the floor.
- context Do not move neither your head nor neck throughout the whole exercise.
- context Place the tongue on the roof of your mouth behind the front teeth.
- context Place your hands on your forehead and push backwards while resisting any motion in the head and neck.
- context Hold this isometric position for 5 to 7 seconds, then relax.
- context Repeat this exercise up to 5 times.
- context Place your hand on your temple and push sideways while resisting any motion in the head and neck.
- context Hold this isometric position for 5 to 7 seconds, then relax.
- context Repeat this exercise up to 5 times.
- context Change hands and try to push your head to the other side while resisting this motion at the same time.
- context Place your hands on the back of your head and push forwards while resisting any motion in the head and neck.
- context Hold this isometric position for 5 to 7 seconds, then relax.
- context Repeat this exercise up to 5 times.
Starting an exercise session
Every session should begin with the "Cat-Camel" exercises -- see Figures 4A, 4B, and 4C.
- context Start on your hands and knees with your thighs perpendicular to the floor as in Figure 4A.
- context Inhale deeply and slowly with the back straight but relaxed as much as possible.
- context Exhale and stretch your back by arching it upwards (arching cat position), while remaining relaxed; do not hold your breath as in Figure 4B.
- context Inhale deeply and slowly and come back to the starting position, as in Figure 4A.
- context Exhale and stretch your back downwards into a swayback (camel) position as in Figure 4C.
- context Inhale deeply and slowly and come back to the starting position, as in Figure 4A.
- context Repeat the whole sequence 3 to 7 times -- see Figures 4A, 4B, and 4C.
Advanced exercises for the back extensors
If you have mastered the beginner and intermediate versions of the "bird-dog" exercise illustrated in the OSH Answers document Exercises for a Healthy Back, you can attempt its advanced form.
- context Stand straight and relaxed, but not rigid, with head up and shoulders back and relaxed.
- context Breathe in and relax, then breathe out, and as you breathe out pull your stomach muscles in.
- context While keeping your stomach in, lean forward from the hips at an angle of about 20 degrees and stoop in a position like a "waiters' bow"; keep your back straight for as long as you lean over.
- context Hold this bowing position for up to 10 seconds.
- context While keeping the stomach in and keeping your back straight, return to the starting position.
- context Repeat this sequence up to 10 times.
- context While on all fours, and without losing your balance, raise your leg by pushing it straight backwards, and raise the opposite arm in front of you, until it is also parallel to the floor and pointing ahead of you.
- context Hold this position while slowly exhaling for 2 to 3 seconds -- see Figure 4.
- context Inhale while returning your arm and leg to the floor without putting weight on them, then extend them again -- see Figures 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D and 6E.
- context Repeat this sequence 5 to 7 times.
- context Alternate leg and arm and repeat the whole exercise.
How do you exercise the abdominal muscles?
This exercise is fundamental for both conditioning abdominal muscles and for maintaining the stability of the spine.
For a greater challenge try raising your head and shoulders while pulling in your abdominal muscles.
For more variety you can try abdominal hollowing while in a standing or sitting position.
This exercise is just a version of exercise #8 to be performed at your discretion, instead of or in addition to exercise #8.
- context Lie on your back with your knees bent.
- context Keep your spine in neutral position, neither arched up nor flattened against the floor.
- context Inhale deeply and relax your stomach.
- context Exhale slowly pulling your lower abdomen inwards toward the floor.
- context Continuing regular breathing and hold the tension for 10 seconds.
- context Repeat this maneuver up to 10 times.
- context Lie on your back with your knees bent.
- context Keep your spine in neutral position, neither arched up nor flattened against the floor.
- context Inhale deeply and relax your stomach.
- context Exhale slowly pulling your lower abdomen inwards toward the floor.
- context Continuing regular breathing and hold the tension for 10 seconds while raising the head and shoulders -- try to raise your head without bending the neck.
- context Repeat this maneuver up to 10 times.
Curl-ups on unstable surfaces such as a fitness ball or balance disk
Advisory!
Since exercising while supporting your upper body on a gym ball or a balance disk does not give you the opportunity to rest your head on the floor it is critical to make an extra effort to keep your spine level -- do not allow your head to drop below an imaginary horizontal line at any time during these exercises.
- context Since exercising on unstable surfaces, especially on a gym ball, involves an increased risk of falling and potential injury, we recommend that you practice them with the assistance of a spotter or exercise partner who can better ensure your safety.
- context Curl-ups on unstable surfaces require substantially greater effort and are recommended only for people of above-average fitness.
- context Starting position -- see Figure 11A
- context From the starting position raise your head and shoulders without bending the neck -- see Figure 11B.
- context Starting position -- see Figure 12A.
- context From the starting position raise your head and shoulders without bending the neck -- see Figure 12B.