Back Exercises

When doing these exercises you must have:
• Body Awareness
• Slow Controlled Movement
• NoPain
When you begin to feel the exercises are easy, and they put no stress on you, increase the intensity by:
1- Increasing the number of repetitions, starting for example at 5, then 8, 10, 12, 15, 20, 25, 30.
2- Increasing the time of each holding position.
3- Decreasing the speed of each exercise.

Start by lying on your back on an exercise mat with your knees bent.
1- Breathing Exercises
Relax by:

Inhale
- stomach out
- ribs out
- chest up slightly

Exhale
- chest down
- ribs in
- stomach in
Inhale : exhale
Count 2:4
Repeat.

2 Pelvic Tilt
Inhale. Then, as you exhale, pull your stomach in.
Press the small of your back down to the floor and
rotate your pelvis as shown in the diagram.
Inhale. Then exhale as you relax.
Repeat.

3 Abdominal Roll
Inhale. Then exhale into the pelvic tilt position with your chin tucked in. Tighten your stomach muscles.
Slide your hands up your thighs, continuing to tighten your stomach muscles.
Inhale and return to the starting pelvic position. Exhale and relax.
Repeat.

4 Diagonal Abdominal Roll
Inhale. Then exhale into the pelvic tilt position with your chin tucked in. Tighten your stomach muscles. Moving your hands down the right thigh, slide diagonally to the right. Exhale as you do so. Then inhale as you return to the starting position.
Inhale. Then exhale into the pelvic tilt position with your chin tucked in. Tighten your stomach muscles. Moving your hands down the left thigh, slide diagonally to the left. Exhale as you do so. Then inhale as you return to the starting position.
Repeat.

For a complete set of warm up exercises please consult your Physiotherapist.

Questions or Comments? hillside.physiotherapy.clinic@shaw.ca