The Back - level one

Back Strengthening Exercises - first level Back Stretches Garrick starts with stretching the back. From what I've seen of most people my age, be they male or female, that's going to be essential. Quite a few people are hobbling around, even though they're not over sixty, with a curled spine and legs that don't move much. This is horrible. But then, I've also met twelve-year-olds who cannot touch their toes, and it makes me a little ill to think how life is going to be for them when they're sixty. Crippled, I daresay, and dependent on a walker or a wheel chair. Bonnie Prudden has an interesting story of her involvement with a wheelchair patient. I'll put it up some time soon, probably right after I get done with this introduction section. Lie on your back. Grasp the back of one thigh and gently pull your leg to your chest. If you can't do that, just pull it toward your chest till it stops. That's what the "gently" means. Hold this stretch for fifteen seconds. if it starts hurting before fifteen seconds you've pulled it too aggressively and let go of it. Next time ease up. This is a stretch, not a rip. Anyway, at fifteen seconds lower the leg to where it was and gently pull up the other one. Hold, put it back. Now do both together. You know what to do if it's difficult--just do the best you can. Everything will improve with time. Relax, put your legs back, and go on to curl-ups. After your curl-ups, finish with some nice, relaxing repeats of the back stretches. Curl-Ups Curl-ups are mostly to strengthen your abdominal muscles, but those are very important toward supporting your back. Also, they don't do a lot to stress your back unless you stop paying attention to what you're doing and allow your back to arch. So don't do that. I don't think these are enough level one exercises. I went to other books and found the following. Shoulder blade squeezes Stand up straight. (I sit in a certain chair because of the feedback I get from it as my shoulder blades press against the back.) Shoulders back. Suck in gut while doing this. Now use the shoulder muscles to press the shoulder blades toward each other. Hold this contraction for three seconds (eventually increasing to six or ten), then release. Relax for three seconds. Start out with four contractions, twice a day, increase to twenty contractions five or ten times a day. Do not work to the point of strain or pain. Daily Challenge gives us a few exercises: Alternating stretches Kneel on all fours on the floor. I can't do anything on the floor till I get a mat so I do it on the bed, which is ugly-hard. Make sure the hands and knees are directly below the shoulders and hips. Slowly raise the right arm and point straight ahead, hold three seconds, replace hand on the floor. Raise the opposite leg (the left one in this case) and extend it straight behind. Hold for three seconds, then replace. Switch and do left arm, then right leg. Over time, increase the number of reps per set and the number of sets per day, while lengthening the amount of time the limbs are held up. Eventually we'll be doing the arm and opposite leg together, but that's a level two thing. Gluteals squeeze Stand up straight, feet hip-width apart. Squeeze the glutes together while also contracting the backs of the thighs. Squeeze for three seconds, relax for three seconds. Repeat for four squeezes, twice a day. A must to avoid: Toe-touching Vigorous hamstring stretching Using excessive weights with any kind of lifting Sit-ups with your feet hooked