Strengthen
HOW TO STRENGTHEN YOUR BACK
A long-term solution to help manage back pain is by strengthening the back-supporting muscles which weaken over time.
A strong core provides good support for the spine. Here are 5 simple exercises to help strengthen your back muscles and help prevent back pain.
If at any time you feel pain doing these stretches, be sure to stop; stretches should feel comfortable. Go slowly and let your body have time to stretch. You should feel the positive benefits the more you keep stretching
By clicking on and watching any of the undernoted videos, you agree that: you do not have a pre-existing medical condition to prevent you from doing any of the exercises shown; you are not in a generally unfit physical condition; and that you are deemed to have read our disclaimer.
Roll down
Duration: 0.42
- Stand feet hip width apart.
- Engage your butt and pull your tummy in
- Tuck your chin to your chest and roll down bone by bone.
- Let your head pull you down, let arms hang loose, take a couple of breaths
- Slowly roll up into standing
- Repeat x2
The plank
Duration: 0.42
- Get down on all fours - hands under shoulders, knees under hips
- Breathe in and engage your butt and pull in your tummy
- Extend one leg back, knee lifted, then the other, so you are in a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles
- Hold it for a few breaths
- Repeat x2
Swimming
Duration: 0.43
- Lie face down and stretch your arms out in front of you palms down
- Engage your butt and pull in your tummy
- Slowly lift your right arm and left leg off the mat, lifting your head and neck slightly keeping your gaze down while stretching diagonally
- Take a couple of breaths and slowly lower your arm and leg.
- Then swap to your left arm and right leg
- Trying to stretch a bit further each time. Repeat x2
Bridge
Duration: 0.43
- Lie on your back and get your feet near to your bottom arms flat by your side
- Engage your butt and pull your tummy in
- Tip your pelvis to the ceiling and lift your tailbone off the mat and then your back, one vertebrae at a time, until there is a straight line, from your knees to your shoulders
- Pause there for a few breaths and then reverse the move, lowering yourself back slowly to the mat. Keeping your pelvis tipped until your spine makes it back to the mat
- Repeat x2
The 100
Duration: 0.42
- Lie on your back, knees bent, arms flat by your side and palms down
- Engage your butt and pull your tummy in
- Lift one leg so shin is parallel to ceiling, knee directly above hip, press back to floor and lift other leg, head, neck, arms and gently pulse arms x 10, then turn palms to ceiling and pulse x 10. Do 100 if you can
