Exercise Your Back. Review on Tips for Exercise

If you ever have, or are suffering from back strain or sciatica(as I sometimes do) then the following exercises I got from my doctor can help ease the pain. The McKenzie Exercises are said to strengthen the back muscles in time, thus reducing the chance of having to suffer the agony.

EXERCISE 1

Lie face down with your arms beside your body and your head turned to one side. Stay in this position for about 5 minutes, making sure that you relax completely.

EXERCISE 2

Remain face down, but now place your hands in the position you would adopt for “press-ups”.  Press the top half of your body as far as the pain will allow, remembering at the same time to keep your hips and legs hanging limp and to sag in the lower back. Then lower yourself to the starting position.  Repeat the exercise, moving higher each time so that in the end you are as high as possible with your arms as straight as possible.  You must repeat this exercise 10 times per session, spreading the sessions evenly 6 to 8 times throughout the day.

EXERCISE 3

Stand upright and place your hands in the small of the back, bend backwards at the waist, using your hands as a fulcrum and keeping your knees as straight as possible, the return to the upright position.  Repeat the exercises 10 times and do 6 to 8 times throughout the day.

EXERCISE 4

Sit on a stool or bench of chair height, or sit sideways on a kitchen chair.  Allow yourself to slouch completely.  After being relaxed for a few seconds in this position draw yourself up and accentuate the hollow in the small of your back, after holding this posture for a few seconds let yourself sink back to the slouched position.  This movement from the slouched to the upright sitting position should be done in such a way that you move rhythmically from slouched to straight repeating 15 to 20 times per session and this must be done 3 times per day(preferably morning, noon, and evening).

It is important that the movements are done to the extreme ends of your range.  With this particular exercise you have now learned how to find the extreme of the good sitting position.  It is not possible to sit for long periods in this way, as it is a position of strain to your back.

EXERCISE 5

Lie on your back with your knees bent up and feet flat on the floor or bed draw both knees to your chest.  Place both hands around your knees and pull your knees firmly but not suddenly against your chest.  Then lower your legs and return to the starting position, remembering not to straighten your knees whilst lowering your legs.

This exercise should be repeated 10 times per session.  The session should be spread evenly 6 to 8 times throughout the day.

WARNING

Do not continue with any of the above exercises if your symptoms are much worse immediately after exercising, and if they remain worse the next day.  If any of the exercises produce or increase leg pain below the knee you should stop them.

All in all these exercises do help my back pain to be eased, and I shall keep on doing them.