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Rehabilitation Exercises >> Back & Spine: Level 3 Back Exercises >> Back Builder (Arm-leg extension on all fours)
Back Builder (Arm-leg extension on all fours)
These exercises should only be performed after evaluation by a qualified medical professional and under their instruction. Failure to properly ascertain the reasons for certain injuries or the causes of pain may lead to further injury if these exercises are performed.
Should you experience pain or discomfort while doing an exercise, stop immediately. Follow only the exercises that your doctor has recommended to avoid the potential of further injury.
Purpose
To strengthen back.
Steps
- Begin on your hands and knees. Look down toward the floor.
- Simultaneously raise and straighten your left arm and right leg until they are parallel to the ground.
- Hold for 5 seconds.
- Repeat 5-10 times.
- Repeat with right arm and left leg.
Tips
- Keep abdominal muscles tight. Do not sag chest or hips.
Getting Relief
for Your Back:
Three Suggestions to Consider
Suggestion 1:
Try an Exercise Ball
Exercise
balls, often also referred to as Swiss balls, are large,
squishy balls used for fitness routines and stretching.
These
exercise balls
are designed to be flexible but firm, with just enough give to
provide the right support during a whole variety of different
exercises and stretches.
For people with light to moderate back pain, performing
stretches using an exercise ball can be a huge relief,
especially when compared to having to sit on a hard floor
surface or a barely padded exercise pat to perform the same
set of stretches.
You can also use an exercise ball for many core strengthening
exercises, and a stronger abdominal region can help support
the back better as well.
Suggestion 2:
Watch How You Sit
In the modern
workplace, many people spend 8-10 hours every day of the work
week sitting behind a computer.
Unable to shift or move much, many people instead
choose to slouch in their chairs, or sit in other ways that
are very unnatural for backs to adjust to.
If you can manage it, attempt to sit with good posture
for as long as you can each day, and if you are experiencing
soreness from not adjusting, try to get up and walk to the
water cooler or bathroom.
People weren’t designed to do this much prolonged
sitting, so in order to relieve your back,
you’ll need to compensate for your extended sitting
sessions while at work or other activities.
Suggestion 3:
See a Doctor
Your doctor
and/or chiropractor is going to be best suited to diagnose
more severe back problems.
Unlike light discomfort or soreness, moderate-to-severe
pain is something that should be addressed immediately.
Though you may think you know the source, rather than
chancing making your back worse, seeing a doctor or
chiropractor can help you source the cause of your symptoms
more directly. Why
chance further pain or discomfort, after all, when a
professional can probably more quickly find a way to solve or
otherwise address your back problems?
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