One of the important principles of working with the spine is accuracy. Especially in the cervical region. Doctor of osteopathy and founder of the federal network of osteopathic clinics Vladimir Zhivotov told socialbites.ca how to do back exercises correctly.
“The body has been used to the current state for years. If you suddenly start changing it, your body may not be able to withstand it and the pain may intensify. Therefore, you need to start exercising very carefully to avoid flare-ups. If your chronic back pain worsens, you need to wait until it passes and then start exercising. Discomfort and crunching during exercises are acceptable. But there should be no severe pain,” the expert began.
She suggests starting with the “seaweed” exercise.
“The chest is where bending is associated. Many people experience pain in the chest area when trying to straighten up. To relieve stiffness, we will use the wave-like motion of the spine combined with the exhalation as we move forward and bend over. Inhale as we move backward. There are four possible types of breathing: inhale through the nose and exhale through the nose. Inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. Inhale through the mouth – exhale through the nose. Inhale through the mouth – exhale through the mouth. You cannot throw your head back. The goal is to achieve the block of motion by extending your thoracic spine as much as possible when you lean back,” the expert said.
Vladimir Zhivotov also suggested making a “swan”.
“We put our hands behind our heads. On the exhale, lean forward. We round the chest and bend our elbows. On the inhale, we straighten up, bend in the chest area and spread our arms-wings. And then the next swing – flexion – exhalation, extension – inhalation. We do not bend the cervical spine. We take care of the cervical vessels. Here we connect the arm muscles and when you lean back, we try to bend in the chest area and spread our arms as wide as possible. Thanks to this, the back muscles that maintain posture are actively strengthened and the mobility of the spine increases,” the osteopath advised.
And finally, he told me how to do the “skier” exercise.
“One of the most effective exercises that simultaneously improves mobility and strengthens the muscles of the back, lumbar region and gluteal region very easily and safely. Imagine yourself as a skier moving along the track: push off with one leg, then push off with your hands. Here, while bending, we will pull the stomach up and push the lower back out to stretch it more actively. During extension, we raise the leg back and arms up. In this way, the back muscles work actively,” concluded Zhivotov.
Previously an osteopath listed ways to get rid of swelling.