My back exercises
These exercises suit me: they won't necessarily suit you. Refer to you doctor before trying them
Exercise 1
Lie flat on your stomach on a flat surface, head turned to the right as in the sketch above, side view.
Simultaneously raise your head, chest, arms and legs, as indicated above. Then relax.
Warning: do this carefully, once only, night and morning, until you are sure that you
can do it without undue strain.
Over a period of weeks, build up to doing it three times, then turn head to left and another three times, and
so on up to five groups of three. By this time, exercising once daily should be sufficient.
Exercise 2
Lie flat on your back on a flat surface, legs together, arms at your sides (start). Raise your legs to the
vertical, making an L shape: trying to keep your legs completely straight. Relax back to start. Now roll
your head and shoulders forward and assume a sitting position. Relax back to start. This strengthens the
tummy muscles and various others, all of which are important for back support.
Do these two movements three times over, once you are happy with Exercise 1.
Exercise 3
a) Stand upright with legs slightly apart, hands by your sides. Slide your right hand down the side of
the leg to the knee, taking care to bend only at the waist: do not move your hips at all. Return to upright,
left hand down to left knee, return to upright. Do these two movements five times.
b) Stand upright with legs slightly apart, hands on hips. Bend backwards from the waist, as far as you can.
Return to upright. Bend forwards and touch the floor just in front of your toes, return to upright.
Warning Do not attempt this exercise until you are up to speed with the others. In the early days, as I was developing these exercises, I
would not have dared to attempt doing this.
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