Gentle Reader,
I began this blog to report on ways to manage osteoarthritis and spinal stenosis by reflecting on my own experience. I have to tell you that I have no symptoms these days. I’ve been trying to understand what I have done to reduce the chronic pain to this degree. I practice all the suggestions I have written about in my posts and they helped but didn’t bring me to this place of comfort. The one thing that I have consistently done recently is listen to Peggy Cappy’s CD called Healing Back Pain. While you know me as enthusiastic, I am also questioning and doubtful about the effectiveness of new age remedies. However, I am growing more and more convinced that her voice and her message in this CD are healing my chronic pain. Please take a moment to go to her web site and order it. Download it into your computer and put it on your I phone, or other media player and listen to it at night or during the day when you lie down. If nothing else you will be profoundly relaxed from all stress in your life.
I promised you I’d let you know what exercises Priscilla Hard Core Mother of Four gave me to develop more abs strength and lose that little bit of belly fat. Here they are:
Pilates 100. Put your head down flat This is the posture for a bad back. Be sure you have a nice neutral curve in your back. Don’t move your head or your shoulders as you lie on the floor. Your legs can be all the way up. Now spread your figures wide, hold your arms straight and pulse 5 x to an in breath and 5x to an out breath, counting to 100. This warms up the hips, abs regions.
This is totally fun. By tempo change, she means go slow with your pointed foot from 12 o’clock to 6 o’clock and then zip around to 12.
Single leg circles with tempo change 5 one way then 5 the other way
Here you are making small circles with your toes in 1st position, legs zipped together, first in one direction and then the other. Totally cool.
These roll up moves are challenging. Do not do them with your legs out straight if you have back trouble. Plant your feet on the floor and reach behind your thighs to pull yourself up. The assist really helps. By rep 7 I can just about do the roll up without the assist. It’s getting easier every day.
Put your hands underneath your head and with your legs over head, point toes in 1st position and take them out to the side and back 10 x. The higher over your body your legs are, the easier on your back.
Flex in frog, X10 For this exercise put your hands behind your head and you are drawing your feet in toward your face allowing your knees to go out to the sides like a frog.
Bridge clam X10/s
*I can’t find a picture of this one. On your back lift your butt off the floor into a bridge. Your feet are planted on the floor about 8 inches beyond perpendicular. Both hands reach up to the ceiling as you drop one knee to the side for 10 repetitions. I can’t go down very far without pain to the right and less far to the left without pain. So listen to your body on this.
Prone: Before beginning prone exercises, always spend a little time in Child’s pose, resting your back.
Double kick extend up and back for 10/s. You are lifting your kicking leg off the mat. Do this slowly, lift the foot and then lift the leg an inch off the floor. Drop the foot back down slowly and go to the other side.
Nose should face the floor so you are in neutral position.
In this exercise, your head is still down. Your legs are forming a triangle, knees out and feet together. Lift both legs simultaneously and move your thighs together. Rest. Lift thighs and move knees out again. 10x total, 5 out and 5 in.
For this go outside or at the bottom of your stair case, take a bungee tube with handles (you’ve seen them in Big 5 sporting goods stores or on TV) instead of buckets of water. Place the center of the tube under your right foot making sure there is no way it could escape and recoil into your face. Bend standing knee slightly and bend the back leg slightly. Then lift the back leg straight out behind you. Imagine your gluts. Beautiful. Weight should be on the leg that is on the step, not on the back leg. Hopefully you get the idea.
You could also stand on the floor to make it easier. Lift one leg off the floor straight back 5x and then switch.
OK, then. Tell me how it goes for you. Leave a comment for others and by all means, sign up to receive every post.
Fondly, Betsy
Be Well, Do Well and Keep Moving
BetsyBell’s Health4u
206 933 1889 1 888 283 2077
betsy@hihohealth.com
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