Exercises
Always consult your doctor before starting exercises
Here are set of simple flexible and portable exercises that can help to build strong bone and muscle. To know about the importance of spine health, read the article ‘Keeping your spine healthy‘ in the page Dr Talks. These can be done at home without using any exercise machines. Use a table/chair, exercise mat or towels to perform the exercises. Start with standing exercises then move to the chair and finally on to the floor. Start slowly, cautiously, carefully read for instruction, precaution and give yourself time to improve. Plan a routine by selecting any of the following strengthening and stretching exercises that fit body’s needs. Don’t push hard to do the exercise and don’t be impatient because exercise may produce injury that you are trying to prevent. Before starting any exercises consult your doctor.
CERVICAL SPINE EXERCISES
Neck Strengthening
- Stand or sit straight in a neutral position and head in a normal position
- Bend your head slowly to the left side
- Hold for three seconds
- Bring your head to neutral position and rest
- Repeat 10 times and repeat for another side
Neck Rotation
- Stand or sit straight
- Hold your head in normal position
- Turn your head slowly to the left until you feel a stretch
- Hold for five seconds
- Bring your head to neutral position and rest
- Repeat 10 times
Neck Retraction
- Stand or sit straight
- Hold your hand in resting position
- Place your finger on the front of your chin and push your head backward slowly until you feel stretch
- Hold for five seconds
- Bring your head to neutral position and rest
- Repeat 10 times
Neck Tilt
- Relax your shoulders
- Tilt your head towards left until you feel stretch
- Hold for five seconds and rest
- Repeat right side
- Repeat 10 times
Chin Tuck
- Look straight ahead
- Tuck your chin slightly
- Move your head backward slowly until you feel stretch
- Hold for five seconds
- Bring your head forward again and rest
- Repeat 10-15 times
SHOULDER STRENGTHENING EXERCISES
Arm Circles
- Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart together
- Extend your arms out on either side of your body, parallel to the floor
- Slowly rotate your arms in clockwise motions
- Do 10-20 circles and rest
- Reverse the direction of the circles
- Repeat 10 times
Shoulder Rolls
- Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart together
- Slowly rotate your shoulder forward, making a small circle
- Do 10-20 circle and rest
- Repeat the movement backward
- Repeat 10 times
Supine Arms Overhead
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor
- Extending the arm fully behind your head
- Move your arm on the floor until it reaches hip
- Return to the starting position and rest
- Repeat 10 times
Supine March
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor
- Press your lower back into the floor
- Slowly raise one of your legs off the floor, keeping your knee bent
- Hold for five seconds
- Lower it back to the starting position
- Repeat with your other leg
- Repeat 10 times
Shoulder Retraction
- Stand up straight with your arms in front of you and your thumbs up
- Move your arms out to the sides, while squeezing your shoulder blades together
- Hold for five seconds
- Return to the starting position and rest
- Repeat 10 times
LUMBAR SPINE EXERCISES
Abdominal Bracing
- Lie on your back with your heels flat on the floor
- Place your hand on your side
- Lift and squeeze your pelvic floor muscles
- Hold for a few seconds
- Lower your body slowly and rest
- Repeat for 2-3 times
Curl Up
- Lie on your back with your arms straight on the floor.
- Keep your knees slightly bent.
- Raise your upper body off the floor by flexing your abdominal muscles
- Touch your elbows to your thighs and rest
- Repeat for 2-3 times
Straight Leg Raise
- Lie on your back with your hands by your sides
- Keep your legs straight
- Raise slowly your legs until your body is an L shape
- Hold for five seconds
- Lower both legs slowly
- Return to the starting position
- Repeat 5 -10 times
Leg Lifts
- Lie on your back
- Place your hands, palms down, on the floor beside you
- Raise your legs off the ground 45 degree
- Keep your knees locked throughout the exercise
- Hold for five to ten seconds,
- Return to starting position
- Repeat 5 -10 times
Push Ups
- With your legs extended back and place your hands on the floor slightly wider than and in line with your shoulders
- Start bending your elbow and lower chest until it’s just above the floor
- Pause for ten seconds
- Push yourself back to the starting position
- Repeat 5-10 times
Bicycle Crunches
- Lie on your back
- Put your hands behind your head
- Crunch to left and bring your right elbow in to meet your left knee
- Crunch to right and bring your right elbow in to meet your right knee
- Quickly go back and forth between the sides
- Repeat 5 -10 times
ISOMETRIC AB EXERCISES
Front Plank
- Lie face down with your forearms on the floor, with your legs extended and your feet together.
- Push into your forearms as you raise your body
- Maintain a straight line from your head and neck to your feet.
- Hold for 10 to 15 seconds
- Lower your body slowly and rest.
- Repeat for 2-3 times
Side Plank
- Lie on one side with the upper foot stacked right on top of the lower foot
- Place your elbow directly in line under your shoulder
- Lift your hips and knees from the floor. Your torso is straight in line with no sagging or bending
- Hold for 10 to 15 seconds
- Lower your body slowly and rest.
- Repeat for 2-3 times
Bridge
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Lift your pelvis and lower back off the floor
- Hold for five seconds
- Lower your body slowly and rest.
- Repeat for 2-3 times
Quadruped
- Kneel with both knees and both hands flat on the floor
- Raise your left leg to hip height and your right arm to shoulder height
- Hold for five seconds
- Return to starting position and rest
- Repeat 8-15 times with other arm and leg
KNEE STRENGTHENING EXERCISES
Quad Sets
- Lie flat on the back with knees bent or in a long sitting position on the floor with one leg straight and other bent
- Place a rolled towel under your knee
- Pull your toes back and push down the rolled towel with your knee cap while contrasting
- Hold for five to ten seconds
- Repeat 10-20 times
Hamstring Sets
- Lie flat on your back with knees bent and heel on the floor
- Press the back of your heel firmly down
- Hold for ten seconds and rest
- Repeat 20 times
Knee Extension
- Sit in a firm straight-backed chair
- Keep your knees 6 inches apart
- Slightly lift your foot is straight out in front of you
- Lower your foot slowly to the floor and rest
- Repeat 8-15 times with each leg
Heel Raises
- Stand behind the sturdy chair
- Hold chair back for balance
- Slowly raise your heels without leaning your body weight forward
- Stay up and maintain your balance for 2 to 3 seconds
- Lower your heels slowly to the floor and rest
- Repeat 8-15 times
Heel Slides
- Lie flat on your back or in a long sitting position on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you.
- Slide the heel toward your buttocks while keeping on the floor
- Hold for 5 to 10 seconds,
- Slide your heel slowly to the floor and rest
- Repeat 8-15 times
Short Arc Quad
- Lie flat on the back
- Keep a small rolled towel under your one knee and bend the other knee
- Slightly lift your foot to straighten the knee
- Lower your foot slowly to the floor and rest
- Repeat 8-15 times with each leg
Bent Knee Fallout
- Lie flat on your back with knees bent and heel on the floor
- Slowly drop one knee to the side rolling onto the side of the foot
- Hold for a few seconds
- Return knee to starting position and rest
- Repeat 8-15 times with each leg
HIP STRENGTHENING EXERCISES
Glute Sets
- Lie flat on your back with your knees bent in a 10 to 15-degree angle
- Squeeze your buttock muscles together
- Hold for five seconds and rest
- Repeat 10-15 times
Ankle Circles
- Sit straight
- Keeping legs flat on the floor
- Make a circle with your ankle
- Repeat exercise with both legs
- Repeat 10-15 times
Ankle Pumps
- Sit straight
- Keeping legs flat on the floor
- Pull your toes towards you
- Hold for five seconds and rest
- Repeat with the other foot
- Repeat 10-15 times
Hip Abduction
- Stand 8 inches behind a sturdy chair
- Use chair back for balance
- Maintain left leg straight and slowly lift your right leg sideways
- Avoid rotating the hips
- Hold for five seconds
- Return to the starting position and rest
- Repeat 10-15 times
Hip Extension
- Stand 8 inches behind a sturdy chair
- Use chair back for balance
- Bend your trunk forward 45 degree
- Extend your right leg behind you
- Slowly lower your foot to the floor and rest
- Repeat with each leg 8 to 15 times
Pillow Squeeze
- Lie flat on the back with knees bent
- Place a pillow between your knees
- Squeeze the pillow with your knees (only knees should move)
- Hold for five seconds and rest
- Repeat 10-15 times
