As I mentioned last week, it's important to remember that maintaining transverus abdominus contraction, ot TrA, is the key element to these exercises. The following moves round out beginner level lumbar stabilization exercises.
5. Prone Alternate Leg Lift
- lay face down with a pillow under your middle area
- keep the knee straight and raise the whole leg 1/4, hold for a few seconds before lowering*
- left leg, then right leg = 1 rep*My doctor mentioned to me when I started this exercise that height is not nearly as important as keeping the leg straight and holding it for a few beats.
6.Quadruped Alternate Arm Raises
- keep your back flat
- raise one arm out in front of you and hold for a few seconds, while making sure to keep shoulders and hips square (avoid leaning)
- right arm, then left arm = 1 rep
7. TrA with Heel Slide
- beginning with both knees bent, slide one foot slowly away along the floor
- slowly slide foot back to start
- right leg, then left leg = 1 rep
- lie on your back with knees bent, feet shoulder width apart, arms extended at your sides
- push up with your hips to establish a straight line through your knee, hip and shoulder
- hold for a few seconds, then release
TrA needs to be maintained at all times during the exercises. I know I say it a lot, but guess what? I'll continue to do so because it's that important. The exertion tends to make you not want to breathe. My doctor taught me a cool trick for that. Go back to my last post and see the part where it says to put your hands around your waist to check if you're doing TrA right. Do that. Practice the contraction a bunch of times. Hold each one 10 seconds. Count the 10 seconds out loud, it'll make you breathe. Do that until you don't have to anymore. Also, with exercises that are harder than others, inhale before the exertion and exhale during the effort. That always helps me.
The team at my clinic discussed me last week and decided they are going more aggressive with me because they are unhappy with my pain level of late. So this week I began late intermediate exercises. A definite challenge, but I'm always up for that.
Yesterday when I went in, they told me to start on my exercises right away. I got through them mostly without incident. One was too hard just yet and another gave me a little trouble. After I was done, the tech I work with said she wanted to talk to me before I left. She said the biggest problem with spine stabilization is that people don't apply themselves enough. They're all wobbly and don't try to do anything to be otherwise, which totally defeats the point of the whole thing. I thought for sure I was in for a criticism. Then she asked me about the one exercise I had a lot of trouble with, which is a back bridge with your arms up so you don't have them for support and your heels resting on a fitness ball. It's very hard to balance! I told her about a slight modification I did to get through it and she said that was exactly right. Then she said that exercise is hard for anyone, even people without any back issues and great core strength. She further said that the effort I have been making has been excellent, pretty much the opposite of the crappy effort she mentioned before. Yay!
I do feel so much better when I exercise, and I love the feeling after sore muscles heal of them getting stronger. For that matter, I kind of like when they're sore too because that means I used them well. Progress! It's a great feeling. Everyone have a great weekend. See you next week!
