Back Maintenance Programme

A short history. During my first pregnancy (I was 20 years old) I participated in a physical therapy program aimed for pregnant women. (It was in Europe.) Strengthening abs as well as lower back, etc. During my two other pregnancies, and the two following decades I kept doing somehow similar exercises – to prevent back pain, to keep my good posture. I always looked for new back exercises to keep fresh my programme.

During my search I found a book, that includes three full back exercises programmes: for acute back, for recovering back and a wonderful maintenance program. (+ Chapters detailing the cause of back problems.)

It was created by doctors/physical therapists, NOT by trainers.

Deborah and Simon Fielding: The Healthy Back Exercise Book (Achiving & Maintaining a Healthy Back) I bought it in a Barnes and Noble bookstore. ($14.98) You can find it in any big book store – to have a look at it, or on Amazon.com to order it.

Here is the list of the maintenance exercises (all are fully explained and pictured in the book):

WARM UP

Two- to five-minute brisk walk

STRETCH AND MOBILIZE

Pelvic shunt and roll

Upper body stretches

Standing side-bens

Seated rotation

Back warm-ups

Neck rotations and side-bends

Quadriceps stretch

Hamstring stretch

Hips-to-floor stretch

Pelvic tilts: kneeling

Knee hugging with resisted stretch

Extended lumbar roll

Prone stretch


STRENGHTEN THE BACK MUSCLES

Single leg extensions

Shoulder lift

Double leg lift

Alternating leg and shoulder lifts

Full back extension

Kneeling stretch and strengthen


STRENGTHEN THE ABDOMINAL MUSCLES

Knees-to-chest stomach curl

Bridge

Diagonal shoulder lift

Arm and kneeling stretch

Leg lifts


COOL DOWN STRETCHES

Standing curl

Quadriceps stretch

Hamstring stretch

Hips to floor stretch

Squatting or sitting stretch

Hurdle sitting

Inner thigh stretch

Supine stretch


RELAXATION


It is appr takes 60 min to do all these exercises. I do the full sequence once every week, but many exercises from here are in my everyday Pilates/stretches routine too. The exercises for acute or recovering back are excellent for “emergency”. Any time I feel pain in my lower back, I am down to the floor, and doing those exercises to get immediate relief.

The advantage of this complex program, that it is BALANCED. Strenghtening lower back, abbs, and improving flexibility.