Strengthening and stretching your back

If you have watched the video Spencer Olchin and I, Kate Hurwitz, made on strengthening your lower back -5 lower back exercises to help relieve pain-, then you will want to follow it up by reading this article on stretching the back, some ab strengthening moves and rotation stretches. It is important to know that by strengthening the back with exercises you must also stretch the back to protect it.

Strengthening and stretching go hand and hand!!! While you are strengthening the lower back muscles they tend to tighten at the same time. So while building the lower back muscle is important so is relaxing the muscle. Also I have given you some abdominal strengthening which help protect the back.

BACK STRETCHES

• On hands and knees: zip belly button to spine, extend one leg and return to starting position. Repeat with other leg

• On hands and knees: take deep breath, look down exhale and the back rounds then look up inhale and back arches

• Sit back on heels

ROTATION STRETCH

• Drop knees to one side, hold then zip belly and return to starting position

ABDOMINAL STRENGTHENING

• Begin with knees bent feet on floor then zip belly button to spine and lift one bent leg then lift other bent leg then lower back leg one at a time to starting position

• Zip belly one bent leg then slide leg out into extension then slide back to starting position

• On back squeeze ball between knees zip belly lift hips by pressing feet into floor then lift and lower maintaining squeeze on ball