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5 Things You Didn’€™t Know about Singapore Pilates Back Extension Exercises  

June 26, 2011 By

Pilates: Relief For Back And Joint Pain.

Pilates Exercise Photos And Detailed Descriptions For Back and Joint Pain Relief!

Pilates: Relief For Back And Joint Pain.


Article by Joanna

It is logical to emphasize and feature back extension exercises in a pilates program

Pilates back extension exercises counterbalance the numerous forwardbending movements in our everyday life. One of the most common complaint of backpain is occupational; that of having to sit for more than 10 hours in the job!

If you can put a figure on the number of times you have to bend forward and theamount of forward inclined daily activities, you will be surprised it is anastounding four figure number. When you slouch in your chair or when you work,rounded over in front of the computer all day, you definitely suffer from backpain from time to time

So how does Singapore Pilates back extension exercises work for you?

How will it change the quality of your program and your life?

Here are 5 reasons why you want to put those Singapore Pilates extensionexercises into action now!

A Great Back Strengthener

As you bend over more than you do any other movements daily, your back musclesbecomes over strained and weak from continued rounding. They forget how to workto support the back when you need to sit upright. These back extensor group ofmuscles must be retrained to play their role of supporting your spine. Backextension exercises specifically targets areas of the back in holding up yourposture in all possible acts of play and work. It also helps to prevent anypossible onset of back pain due to poor posture and form.

“Swan” is a specific back extension routine which is simple and easy to perform.Lie on your stomach with both palms down at the side of your chest near yourarmpits. Keep both knee caps lifted and engaged as you press gently into thefloor and lift chest away from ground. This action of keeping the chest offground helps to train your back to be stronger. It also challenges your pelvisand abdominals to target back muscles.

Makes You Taller

The muscles that are in charge of making you stand taller, sit taller and walktaller is the back extensor group. You will need to keep your posture lifted,as in lifting your chest up and keeping the back of the neck long like a welltrained dancer akin to a ballerina. In the process, other important muscles ofthe body are also challenged. Your chest is expanded and lifted. Your abdominals,quadriceps, and hip flexors are properly stretched.

“Swimming” is another great pilates exercise to include in your repertoire. Overtime, you achieve good posture and form.

Improves Breathing Mechanics

As you begin to keep the chest lifted, you will notice there is a visibledifference in the way you look and breathe. If you have a rounded forward posture,your ribcage is in a collapsed/dropped position all the time. This position doesnot promote proper breathing. In fact, it is impossible to do proper breathingat all. Shallow breathing is the only possible way to breathe in this position.The lifting of the sternum, which we also called breastbone, means muscles of theback are working hard to effectively keep ribcage up, the lungs are in theirproper position to initiate correct full breathing.

Creates Shoulder Girdle Stability

Some examples of pilates back extension exercises like the modified “Plank” isgreat to challenge stabilization of your shoulder girdle musculature. It alsochallenges your abdominals as they have to work to stabilize your lower body. Intime your core strength will improve. The development of core strength is crucialto the maintenance of good posture until it becomes a good habit. Corestabilization also means some areas of the body do not have to be strained tocompensate for other weaker muscles.

Exercises Rejuvenate & Revitalize

All Singapore Pilates back extension exercises work to regulate and balance yourbody with the right movements. If you are rounded for most hours of your wakingtimes, you want to do an activity in extension. Our body is designed to be in anupright position from birth. Look at any picture of a standing anatomy chart ofa body – it is upright and in extension.

Your quality of life improves tremendously with continual maintenance of thiscorrect posture. You will feel stronger, re-energized, and re-vitalized!

 

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Back Stretching Exercises

June 25, 2011 By

Dave demonstrates six key stretching exercises to help enhance your range of motion and prevent injury. Active.com hosts the world’s largest directory of sports and recreational activities, facilities, venues and classes, which includes more than 66000 races, leagues, tournaments, camps and other recreational listings in over 80 sports and 5000 cities all at www.active.com

Back Stretching Exercises

Muscles are the spine’s main defense against gravity. Strengthening the muscles that support the spine with exercises, can prevent, reduce and even eliminate back pain.

Strong abdominal muscles (especially the deep abs) are as crucial as strong back muscles for supporting the lower back and preventing lower back pain. Strong quadriceps (front of thigh muscles) is important to prevent back injuries when lifting. Proper lifting techniques involve using your legs and if your legs are weak, you may end up using your back.
Shortened Muscles Cause Back Pain

Shortened muscles can throw the spine out of alignment and cause back pain. Stretching exercises lengthen shortened muscles and relieve back pain. Tight back muscles, tight buttocks muscles, and even tight hamstrings (back of thigh muscles) or quadriceps (front of thigh muscles), can affect the alignment of the spine. Stretching the back with stretching exercises also increases mobility of the joints of the spine.

Strong and flexible muscles help maintain Proper Posture and prevent Back Strain.
Back Exercise Samples

Stretching exercises may be done daily. Strengthening exercises should be done three or four times per week – the days off give your body a chance to recover. It may take 6 week to 8 weeks to notice results.

To prevent back pain, keep your back fit by doing the following exercises.
(Start with five repetitions of each exercise. If you can handle five repetitions without post exercise pain, then slowly add a couple of repetitions each week until you reach 15 repetitions).

*If you are experiencing back pain or suffer from a back condition, ask your doctor if the following exercises are appropriate for you to do.
Back Stretching Exercises
Warm-up Exercise before Stretching Exercises

Always warm up before stretching exercises. Five minutes of walking, or exercise bike, elliptical trainer, or even marching on the spot is enough. Not warming up before stretching leaves your back susceptible to injuries causing back pain. Warm muscles are more flexible than cold muscles and are less likely to tear.

Check with your physician before doing exercises that involve twisting or arching the back if you have a back condition.

Pelvic Tilt: lower back stretching exercise (also strengthens abs)

Lie on back, knees bent, feet flat on floor. Tighten buttocks and abdomen, flattening small of back against the floor. Hold for a count of five. Slowly relax. Repeat five – fifteen times.

Knee to Chest: Gluteal stretching exercise

Lie on back, knees bent, feet flat on floor. Grasp left leg behind the knee/back of thigh and pull knee towards left shoulder. Hold for a count of five. Switch sides. Repeat 5 times.

Piriformis Stretch: (Stretches Muscles that lie beneath gluteal muscles)

Sit on chair
Place your left ankle over your right leg, just above the knee and lean forward.
Hold for 30 seconds. Repeat on other side.

Basic Twist: lower back stretching exercise.

Lie on back, arms stretched out to the sides.
Bend knees and bring knees up close to your chest
Take a deep breath
Exhale as you slowly lower knees (keep knees together) to floor to the right or as close to the floor as is comfortable.
Pause.
Inhale as you slowly return your knees to chest.
Exhale as you slowly lower knees to left side
Inhale as you return your knees to chest.
Repeat about 5 times.

The Cat: back stretching exercise

Begin on all fours, hands directly under your shoulders and knees directly under your hips.
Inhale as you drop tummy towards the floor and look up over your head.
Exhale as you bring your tummy back up, rounding your back as you tuck your chin in and tuck your tailbone in.
Move slowly back and forth between these two positions pausing on each pose.
Repeat about 5 times.

The Cobra: back and chest stretching exercise

Lay flat on stomach, forehead to ground, with arms bent and palms down on the ground under the shoulders.
Push downward with arms as you raise your upper torso and arch your back.
Hold for 3 full breaths before slowly bringing the upper torso back down to the ground.

Shoulder, Back, Arms Stretch:
Stand with knees slightly bent. Interlace fingers, extend arms forward at shoulder level. Turn palms out and reach your arms further until you feel a stretch. Hold 10 – 20 seconds. Repeat.
Chest Stretch:
Stand with knees slightly bent. Hands behind the back, fingers interlaced. Turn palms up extend arms backward. Do not arch the back. Hold 10 – 20 seconds.

Sides, Waist Stretch:
Stand with knees slightly flexed. (Can also be done sitting down) Place your right hand behind your head. Grab your right elbow with your left hand and pull gently. Bend slowly to the left until you feel a gentle stretch. Hold 10 – 20 seconds. Switch sides. Repeat.

Shortened hamstrings can contribute to sway back

Hamstring (back of thigh) Stretch:
Sitting on floor, extend right leg, place left foot against right knee. Lean forward (keeping back straight), reaching for foot until you feel a slight pull on you hamstring. Hold for 10 – 20 seconds. Switch sides. Repeat

Hamstring (back of thigh) Stretch:
Lying flat on back. Raise left leg up. Grab leg and pull up further until you feel a gentle pull in the hamstring Hold for 10 – 20 seconds. Switch sides. Repeat.

Shortened quadriceps can contribute to sway back

Quadriceps (front of thigh) Stretch:
Stand up. Bend your knee behind you, grab your ankle and gently pull your heel toward you buttocks until you feel a gentle pull on the front of your thigh. Hold for 10 – 20 seconds. Switch sides. Repeat.

Wall Back Stretch: back / neck stretching exercise

Stand up with your back against the wall. Try to press the small of your back and the back of your neck toward the wall. Hold for 10 – 30 seconds. Do not overstretch!

Neck Roll:
To loosen up the neck, where many people carry their stress: Stand or sit up straight with the bottom of your spine turned under. (Do not arch your back) Let your head fall forward, keeping the neck and shoulders relaxed. Slowly roll your head to one side, then let it drop and roll to the other side. Be careful not to overstretch. Do not roll the neck backwards.
Stretching using an Inversion Table

Inversion therapy has been around for a couple of thousand years. Your feet are securely supported as your body hangs upside down – and the spine is stretched by the weight of your body.

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Medicine Balls… From Back Breakers to Muscle Makers

June 24, 2011 By

Medicine balls have been hovering in the corner of the gym for close to 2 centuries.  The first medicine ball was designed and used by William “Iron Duke” Muldoon in 1830.  Iron Duke was a championship wrestler and boxing trainer in New York back then and the medicine ball was developed as a strength training device.  I doubt very much that back then Iron Duke knew that his simple idea would turn into such a diverse tool in the fitness and sports industry.

The original medicine balls featured a tough leather outer skin.  You can still buy models of this style and like the original they are truly designed for basic strength training.  Great for fitness and building any muscle in the body, leather covered medicine balls may not be fancy but they get the job done when it comes to general strength building.  A leather medicine ball routine utilizing a range of weights and a good variety of exercises will help build muscles throughout your body from calves and thighs to biceps your neck and back.  As with any weight training the performing the exercises the right way is important otherwise you’ll find the medicine ball to be a back breaker rather than a muscle maker.  You can start by searching online for medicine ball training resources

That covers weight training now lets really get into the nitty-gritty.  If you shop online at sites like www.morleyathletic.com you’re going to find a lot more than the old fashion style leather covered medicine balls.  This is where it starts to get exciting for you hard core team sports athletes out there.

It turns out old Iron Duke was really onto something but science just wasn’t ready for it back in the 1800′s.  With today’s modern scientific instruments and our higher understanding of the human body we have taken medicine ball training to a new level and it continues to improve by the minute.  We have now developed specific types of medicine balls for specific exercises for specific sports and for specific muscles used in those specific sports.  Confused, well there is a lot of specifics you will need to determine but once you do you will be able to pick up a medicine ball and pinpoint a muscle group based on your athletic needs.  Pitchers may be building muscle memory to develop the perfect arm, football receivers can pinpoint muscle groups for leg speed and strength.

Now it’s not my intention to teach you any exercises.  I don’t profess to know that much about plyometric and strength training but I do know about medicine balls themselves so I’m going to point out a few styles that you may be interested in after you learn more about medicine ball training.  Below is some information on a few styles of medicine balls I recommend.

Rubber Medicine BallsStandard rubber medicine balls are only one step above the original leather covered models but they need to be mentioned.  They are by far the most popular medicine ball being commercially used today because the rubber cover is durable,  does not get damaged by moisture (such as sweat), they are easy to clean, they bounce and they come in a large variation of weights and sizes.  Oh yeah- they are also pretty economical compared to their designer cousins.

Rhino Elite Medicine Balls Rhino Elite Medicine Balls are a pumped up version of the aforementioned balls.  Rhino Elite balls feature an exclusive textured surface and a design that ensues superior grip and handling.  They are made from a hollow synthetic rubber which means they are designed to be bounced and can take all sorts of atmospheric conditions (they can get wet).  The hollow rubber makes for a consistent bounce so you can perform wall throws, squat throws, start throws…  well medicine ball throws in general.  Rhino Elite medicine balls are available in 11 different weights so you can really vary your resistance levels.

Gel Filled Medicine Balls These gel filled medicine balls are the softest most pliable medicine ball available.  They are designed for a softer grip on the ball and are perfect for use with medicine ball rebounders or for general training.  Made from durable roto-molded PVC shells these medicine balls are built to last.  In addition each ball features a textured cover for even easier catching.

Rope Handled Medicine BallsRope handled medicine balls are designed for specific exercises.  Each rope handled medicine ball is fitted with a strong yet soft rope for a wide variety of advanced medicine ball activities.  Swinging, throwing and chopping exercises are performed with these medicine balls.  Don’t worry if your budget won’t allow for more than one kind of medicine ball you can also remove the rope and use the ball as a standard medicine ball.  Two soft rings keep the rope firmly in place to prevent knotting during use.

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Relieve Back Pain Core Strength Training

June 24, 2011 By

There are several methods that can relieve back pains. The most beneficial method to both general health and back pain alike is core strength training.  Since core strength training involves physical activity, it is a natural way to improve the way your body carries itself. Back pain problems are usually the cause of improper posture which in turn disrupts the alignment of the spinal bones.

Core strength training as its name implies involves specific training that strengthens the core of the human body that is the muscles that are responsible for holding the body upright.  The core is that area of the body that starts from the limbs and ends below the chest. This includes mainly the glutei and abdominal muscles.

Having strong abdominal muscles is a key element in the support of the back structure as it holds the back in a way that it assumes a better posture. This benefit mainly derives from the fact that strong abdominal muscles prevent excessive pressure from becoming the sole responsibility of the back muscle and nerves. Consequently, instead of succumbing to the enormous pressure caused by a weak core system, the back muscles will be better equipped to erect the body in a comfortable position without damaging the spine, thereby preventing back pains. Exercising the gluteus area will ensure the core system of the body is stable. Therefore, exercising this area is necessary for a fully functioning core system. This article is not written by or checked for accuracy by a medical doctor. Please consult with your physician for treatment options.

There are various core strength training techniques that a person suffering from back pain can easily adapt to their lifestyles. These include, sits ups, crunches, Pilates and yoga among others.  A few seconds of knee to chest exercises a day are one of the simplest exercises that people can do from home. Lying on the floor pull your knee towards your chest, hold for 5 seconds and release.  Do the same on the other knee. Repeat for a number of times. This exercise helps to relax the spine disc and thus releases the nerves of the back from the unnecessary pressure which is caused by the closing of the spine disc.

Core strength training is a proven efficient method that generates long term benefits as opposed to temporary back pain relieve when treating the pain with over the counter painkiller medicine. Moreover, core strength training is a cheap equipment free therapy as it mostly depends on using the weight of your body.

This article is not written by or checked for accuracy by a medical doctor. Please consult with your physician for treatment options.

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