With These Simple Moves Taken From The Comprehensive Core Wellness Institute Training Program, You Can…
- Reverse the damaging effects of stress induced muscle imbalances like cartilage wear and tear, joint degeneration, disc herniations, and other conditions usually associated with “unhealthy aging”
- Balance and align your joints so that your nervous system is flooded with the message of growth, renewal, and centered calm
- Remodel your posture so you can start using gravity for power and spring instead of it dragging you down!
- Eliminate the “energy leaks” that occur when your body is not being used efficiently. (this alone will create a surprising energy surge as you continue to put these moves into action!
And if you get benefit from this “Fundamentals” series,
you’ll be absolutely amazed at what you can
experience as a student inside the Core Wellness Institute!
Keep doing these fundamentals to start Releasing all that stress induced muscle tension and start Rewiring your brain and nervous system for an amazingly energetic and pain free life!
(And I’m sure you’ll want to know where to get one of the foam rolls we use in the “Foam Angel” and “T4 Mobilization” moves. You can check your local sporting goods or retail stores for a 36 x 6 inch round foam roll or just order one online HERE)
Please leave your comments about the video below! Thanks!
Tried the baby stomach and baby back last night.
Will do more of them tonight.
Have to find the foam angel at a local store before I can continue with the other fundamental exercises.
It’s a critical tool to have. Check sporting goods stores and even call physical therapy or chiropractic clinics to see if they have one (36″x6″ round). You can roll a rug or blanket tightly in the meantime to get your spine elevated to your arms can fall.
Hi Dr.Stive
Thank you for the exercises! I have problem with lumbar pain, i tried your exercises and feel relief
which one do you feel helped the most, goni?
Awesome, simple exercises, felt a difference immediately. I will continue doing them and look forward to more.
In baby belly breathing exercise, is Rebecca’s forehead resting directly on the mat or does she have her face turned toward Dr Steve? In the video, her hair is concealing how she places her head.
I found an extra-firm black foam roller on amazon from Isokinetics, Inc. It does not compress at all, and looks just like the one in this video. Thanks for posting these exercises in the video. They are helping me tremendously! I especially appreciate your instructions on the correct way to do lunges. When I developed arthritis in my knees, I had given up lunges until your instructions allowed me to do them again.
Rebecca’s forehead is resting on the mat so she can experience a nice long neck as she breathes into her front support zone.
A proper lunge is SO important…glad you were able to benefit…keep us posted on your progress!
Thank you so much for posting this. I tried the set of 7 exercises and I cannot believe how tight my chest, shoulders and neck muscles are. I’ve recently joined yoga because of chronic stiffness, and your exercises really stretch areas I need to work on. I will continue these and I look forward to learning more.
Thank you for these, they’re dazzling. There’s stuff in this video nobody else shows you (including the right way to lunge).
I’ve been doing these 7 exercises faithfully every day since you sent them. Bought a foam roller and all.
I wanted to tell you, the other day at a stoplight (seatbelted in obviously) I went to peel off the extra layer I had on, a kinda stiff sweatshirt, and it was so easy I was startled – my shoulders are so much freer.
I’ve got my husband watching some of the videos on your website. Clear, practical info that should be universally known but it sure isn’t; and your way of presenting it is wonderful.
Now we’d like to find out about the rest of the Dr.Steve system, please.
Dr. Steve
Is it best to start with all 7 each day or start with one and do it well? I have sciatic pain that affects my left hip and front of thigh down to my knee gets very tight. Any helpful advice and thanks!
The key is slowing it down and doing it RIGHT. Ideally get them all in at least 3x/week and preferably daily. Split them up into 2 or 3 short sessions if needed.
Dear Dr Steve
I have started some of the excercises in your program and the sciatic pain is getting better – thank you.
I have been told my left leg is measureably .75inches shorter than my right by a few different professionals. Is there something different I should do or should I wear a heel lift – I get confused about this.
I look forward to hearing about your new program,
Hi Dr. Steve.
I can’t seem to do the last exercise where I’m to place my wrists on the roll and stretch my back. It feels like my arms are going to break in two when I try to come back up. Any suggestions?
likely it’s a shoulder issue. It’s a common problem but can’t give specific advice without history and evaluation. I’m sure you undetstand. Sound like a good topic for an upcoming video, though! Thanks for the comment!
Hi Dr. Steve:
Just printed off the exercises- thank you for doing in PDF, so that I can to family room and refer to them, without having to be watching the computer screen.
You and Rebecca taught me all of these a few years back and I am looking forwad to getting re-acquainted with them and know my body will thank me.
Will let you know in a few weeks how I am doing.
Pat
I tried the first three exercises. I do not go very far before I feel the lift of my back to my hips. I am in search of a local store that carries the foam roll. I like to buy local to help my town, any ideas? Sandie
Sandie, sporting goods stores are starting to carry them more but also check local chiropractors, physical therapists, and personal trainers.
I got a foam roll yesterday. I have been doing the stregthes. I can not do the breathing on my back because it hurts. I breath on my back with my knees up. I think I breath correct. I can only lift my legs and reach out a little before I feel by spine lift. If I push down hard it stays connected to the floor or roll but I do so only while I hold my breath. I push hard and try to breath regularly but I still feel like I am pushing down the whole time. I can do the angle only a little ways up before my elbows lift off the groung. I can not bend them 90 degrees and rest them on the floor at all. That is why I has so much neck and shoulder pain during the school year while I grade papers. I like the dying bug and the leg streach. While I am doing all the exercises my legs shake, is that okay? I do them 3 times a days. Some times them make me feel loose and have only light pain and other feel more stiff and my pain is stronger. I so want this to work. I can hardly move, lift, sit, reach down…… I hope the times that I hurt I am not doing the exercises incorrect. It is hard to do them alone from a video or paper.
Coordination takes time and work and it’s normal to have some shaking of muscles that have been deconditioned. Generally, if an exercise recreates the pain you’re trying to get rid of, it needs to be modified or checked for proper form.
In the coaching course I will be taking questions like these and workshopping them on video so everyone can benefit.
Hi Dr.Steve,
I love this mini-series that you have put together here, and have a few questions concerning the pelvis that I thought I would post here.
1.) Do you have thoughts on how to identify if we are using an excessive posterior pelvic tilt in conjunction with trying to anchor our TLJ into the floor? I find it hard to tell if I am doing the right pattern, especially during the dead-bug exercise.
2.) Could tight hip extensors/rotators in the leg held to the chest make it look like you have tight hip flexors in the leg being tested in the Lower-Crossed Syndrome self tests? I feel like to get my knees to my chest I have to roll my pelvis a lot, and my feet come together externally rotating my femur.
Thank you for your thoughts on this.
@ryan 1.) should be able to slide fingers under your low back, just so it’s not completely smashed down. 2.) all that matters for the test is that your low back IS flat to the bench/table/whatever during the test. I’ll be doing more in-depth Q and A in the coaching course.
thanks for the link to OPTP. The cost of the roll with shipping was cheaper than I could find locally.
You’re welcome. They’re a solid company.
these movements look great – can’t wait to try them.
Going out to look for roll today. Hope to get started on this after school starts tomorrow and my days are more scheduled to suit me. Glad I found this and look forward to great results. When I see my chriroprator the area (T4?) of my back is always the hardest area to manipulate. Hope this will loosen that up for me.
Great, Deborah…your T4 area will love you for it and your posture will never be the same! Long live the PostureTube!
Thank you very much for making these excercises available. I have ordered a foam roller and I will add them to my daily routine. It is surprising how tight my shoulders are.
I have a question about use of the form roller with a patient that has had surgery for spinal stenosis. My 86 year old father had surgery about 18 months ago and had not stood straight sense. He has constant back pain (lower and upper). His surgeon says he’s fine. He does nothing but sit in a chair all day long. He can’t lay on his stomach at all so I know the baby belly exercise is out but I was hoping he might benefit from at least lying on the foam roller. Your thoughts?
Of course an evaluation would be in order first before I could dispense appropriate professional advice.
But it would be worth a try. I would drape it with a blanket to cushion his spine some. Opening up the chest is always beneficial in these cases. It’s just a matter of whether he can handle the up and down off the floor transitions.
Also make sure to put a pillow under his head to keep his chin from poking toward the ceiling placing harmful stress on his cervical spine.
I did some gardening today-lots of bending and lifting which made my back and neck very stressed and sore. I tried some of the exercises and felt immediately more relaxed and in less pain. I really enjoy doing these exercises as they are very calming, and also indicate to me where the problem areas are. I never realised how important the breathing aspect of exercise is. Its made a big difference to me to undo the bad habit of upper chest breathing.
Looking forward to more.
Thanks Steve
Breathing is everything. The calming factor comes right along with it. Glad you benefited. Soooo much more to come with the posture course.
Hi Dr Steve
I have only just started these and a few of your other exercises like the combo exercise for hips/lower back/ knees etc… and I have found that though I don’t seem to breath into my chest normally and seem to breath more into my tummy area, I can’t seem to maintain it very well if I also tighten the pelvic floor – I seem to have trouble co-ordinating the 2! Any suggestions or should I just do these 7 steps in miniscule amounts and just concentrate on co-ordinating the 2 before worrying about doing the exercise to my own fullest potential?
Thanks – and I must say these videos are BRILLIANT, and very motivating.
It is a challenge, Kristina…but a worthy one.
Try a very gentle pelvic floor AFTER you have started the process of sending your breath down into your pelvic bowl. It’s like putting up a gentle barrier so the energy from your breath does not leak out the bottom.
Hving a bit of trouble getting these exercises right, can’t get the pdf download and I can’t see the video on my computer while on the floor, can I get a dvd so I can do it from the living room TV?
Janice, here’s the direct link to the PDF to try again http://gettoyourcore.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/Myobalance-Fundamentals-PACKAGE.pdf
I am retooling the whole course online and will possibly come out with a DVD sometime next year.
Dr Steve,
You are a life saver! I did the baby breathing and had difficulty at first feeling my body resting on the ribs and pubic bone so i continued breathing and then within 1 minute I felt a whole shift and settling on my left side, deep in my abdominals. I then could lay in the correct position. After standing I had 90% improvement in pain levels which has continued throughout the day. The most improvement in a month of severe pain and various appointments and acheived in two minutes of breathing! Thankyou for sharing this.I am so grateful.
You are so welcome, Margaret! The healing power of the body is amazing when you give it the right input.
Hi Dr. Steve, just thought I would let you know that I have given your website to family,friends and clients. I have also added your link to my website: http://www.sarahrelaxzone.com On another note can you please send me the on line link for the back roll?
Many thanks
Sarah
Thank you so much, Sarah! The link for the foam roll is http://www.optp.com/AXIS-Roller-White-Series.aspx
Dr. Steve
In baby back, when i try to keep the inside of my elbows anchored to the floor my left shoulder wants to roll forward. When I try to keep my shoulder blades flat on my back, preventing forward shoulder roll as my hands move slightly towards my toes, I have a pinching pain under the lower portion of my left scapula on the inside near the spine. and what feels like a nerve pathway tingling from the back of my left armpit, down the inside of my bicept, through my elbow and down to my pinky/ ring fingers.
Sometimes nerves can get hung up in soft tissue. It’s common for the shoulder to want to pop off the ground. Just bring your forearms up off the floor for now and keep trying after a few weeks of floor angels. Good luck, Humphrey!
Hi – when I clicked on the video, it went black, and I could here the audio but not see the exercises. Could you try sending again or a different way? Thanks
Everything tested out OK, try updating your flash player. http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ and let me know how it goes.
I’ve been trying the baby back exercise. (Hope I can explain this correctly) Your video and pictures don’t show a front view and I’m wondering if your knees are supposed to be turned outwards like a frog from your hips. So when you straighten your leg your feet and hips are turned on an angle away from your body. (Not straight) I think this is right if my knees are supposed to be wider than my shoulders.
Yes, Beverly. Knees are slightly wider than hips in mild external rotation like you explained.
Dr Steve,
Thank you for these wonderful exercises. I am so anxious to get started on them. I am pretty flexible for my age (71) after taking yoga for 5 years but I have fought that neck/shoulder tension for years. It started in my banking job and I know I need to improve my posture, standing and sitting.
@ann…you're welcome! keep on moving! remember, it's all about how you do what you do when you do it!
so how much is this gonna cost to fix…..
Jake, the “fix” is multidimensional and takes a very holistic approach.
The online program will contain the exact same training and education we provide for our private clients at our office for approximately $1000.
You will receive this same education and training system we teach based on releasing and rewiring damaging patterns of Mindset, Movement, and Nutrition. Plus you’ll get access to hours of archived Q&A video in addition to the audio, video, and text already in the course.
At the time of this reply, we are still deciding on the right price that will make it accessible to people who can’t make it to our physical office or can’t afford it. So it will not be a full 1K. You’ll be notified when the course is available with all the tuition details. Thanks for the question.
finally sorted out sound problems on computer and am able to enjoy the video! Exercises look deceptively simple but I found a lot of concentration needed to stay anchored and keep neck long….so slowly slowly will be my way. thank you x
It’s all about the little things with this stuff. Little hinges swing big doors!
Dr.Steve,
I watched a few of your videos, did the self-tests and found out I couldn't do most of the exercises all the way.
I have been diagnosed recently with a small discus herniation at the lumbar area (L4-L5-S1) and have pain/stiffness in the left hip and sciatica with occasional numbness in the outer toes. Could you tell me if these exercises are advisable as therapy for such condition or only as preventive measures?
Thank you for the videos!
Dear Steve
thanks a million for your exercises, which i will be doing daily. i've got osteoporosis with quite a bit of back pain and stiffness and i'm hopeful that your exercises will really help.
Yours gratefully
monica
Just wanted you to know how much looser and more relaxed my body feels after doing the exercises just now with your video. I was only able to do the ones without the roll, but even those have helped a lot. I have had chronic left hip, low back and mid back pain for 30 years. I moved to Arizona 2 years ago so I could swim every day, but have found that shortly after swimming my muscles tighten and become even more painful. I have felt for a long time the need for some good, gentle stretches. This series appears to be exactly what I've been looking for. My desire is to not only be able to work and swim without pain, but also ride a bike on the beautiful desert trails, and maybe even take up dancing again! You have given me hope, and for that I am grateful….Gail
Hi Dr Steve.
Great video and great yet simple exercises. My issues all seem to stem from hip flexor tightness and I regularly do stetches in that area such as the warrior stretch, is it ok to use these stretches in conjunction with the exercises in your video? Also, I have tightness in the piriformis region should I continue my normal stretches for this area or should I be looking to strengthen my glutes/piriformis instead?
I have been doing the babyback and lunge exercises for a couple of weeks now and have noticed a massive difference already. My lower back is much less inhibited and my hips feel a lot looser. Even though I do a number of regular stretches for hip flexors, piriformis, quadratus lumborum and obliques as a complement to my regualr conditioning programme these two simple exercises seem to have reinvigorated my lower spine. Thanks.
Very cool, Troy! What they do is essentially "reboot" your central nervous system and take you back in time before you developed all your stress and compensation patterns. Keep it up!
Wonderful exercises. Done them 2 times today and I enjoy them.
Have a problem with my right hip and knee mostly felt like quads insertion on kneecap is very sore.
Been having this on and off for 36 years. Now doing the exercises “dead Bug” and the basic on back with knees up, my right hip is sore and very little energy is in the leg to hold it up, also when hugging / pulling legs down towards chest is hurting in right groin when coming closer to body.
For the moment I’m having akupuncture for this and it’s slowly becoming better and the acu man has also told me to work with my breathing but the way you instruct breathing I could really feel immeditely positive effect .
Thank you for sharing your gifts 🙂
My pleasure, Majoy! Breathing is the TRUE core and can help improve everything.
The push away lunge and piriformis stretch sound like they might be your friends.
drh
ive been baby stepping through some of your exercises. it took me 5 minutes to get the tube positioned under my back , that was a workout in itself. no surprise that i could not lift my legs off the floor or get my elbows onto the floor. and yet i am better than before i started following you. Thanks
Baby stepping is stepping and that’s what’s important, Nancy! I’m glad your doing better! Keep it up! -drh
Love the CNS support points in baby belly and back exercises. Making huge changes in my body. I’m having trouble finding support for the pelvis in baby back/dead bug. Should I feel grounded through the sacrum or the two little PSIS nubs?
Also, in baby belly, when I root the ribs down, my face really smashes into the floor. Guess that means I’ve got some forward head pattern tightness.
Is it normal to have a hard time concentrating after you make large changes in tissue length and the CNS?
Good stuff Steve! Keep spreading the good word!
Nice, Andrew! What huge changes are you seeing? Can you be more specific? I’m always curious.
Actually, in baby back you should be focused mainly on your back support zone at the base of your ribs in the back where the thoracic spine meets the lumbar spine.
We have started coaching that like this: “Imagine your pelvis (your nubs) are sitting on a scale and it reads 10 pounds. Now slowly “unweight” the scale to 5 pounds, then to zero very slowly.”
The “magic moment” when you begin to unweight the scale is the most important because it forces you to establish your back support zone connection. And that is the KEY to EVERYTHING. The “Holy Grail” of core stability and movement efficiency!
It’s infant neurodevelopment revisited that literally takes your body “back in time”.
Regarding your head smashing into the floor…think “unweighting” again with your forehead while keeping the intention of pushing away and growing taller through the crown of your head.
This lifting of the head should start from a good support through your mid back…no poking of the chin. Keep the chin relatively “packed in”.
I love this stuff.
Keep me posted and let me know specifics on how it’s helping you. I appreciate it.
drh
I love this stuff too, and I’ve been teaching it to others, so your cueing tips of vizualizations/intentions have been very helpful.
As far as bodily changes, my body just feels very strong and mobile after some core activation either with baby belly/back or dead bugs. I’m having some trouble maintaining that feeling though, so I find myself wanting to go lay down and reactivate several time per day, which isn’t always possible when you’re busy.
In baby back, Would you recommend a pillow under the head for someone with tightness in the thoracocervical region. Also, if you have trouble rooting the inner elbows down without forward shoulder posture, can you reach upwards with the arms or do some other variation?
Thanks for the help Doc.
Andrew…definitely pillow in that case. And yes, bring your palm to the sky and imagine pushing away from a falling ceiling. But just IMAGINE it. It’s not a strong arm muscle contraction. Imagination goes deep.
Simple, but I can feel more awareness. Now I will remember your tips and only get better. You can’t beat your own personal trainer! Thank you Dr. Steve.
Respectfully,
Mary
Simple is the magic word. Awareness is also a magic word. While we’re at it, “remembering” is pretty good, too!
You’re just FULL of MAGIC!
Glad to have you here, Mary.
My only concern is not being able to see myself do these to make sure I’m doing them correctly. Can you hurt yourself by doing them wrong?
Like any exercise, Lisa, you can hurt yourself with improper form.
That said, these movements are designed to be very safe moves to start out with.
Go slowly and watch the video several times if you need to before performing.
It will also help to print out the PDF so you have it right there with you…and doing them with a MIRROR helps A LOT!
Keep me posted on your progress.
drh
Thank you for posting these exercises. I feel more relaxed already!
Awesome Hessy! That’s what they’re designed to do. Keep me posted on your progress.
I was thinking about buying a foam roller. Do you have any suggestions as to what brand to buy?
I have some tool resources for you at http://www.gettoyourcore.com/posturetools/
You’ll never regret it. The foam roll is the KEY!
Found all exercises fine up to 90 90 position on foam roller, as up to that were very similar to Pilates which I am used to so can connect ribs and pelvis with the floor.
For the 90 90 exercise (level II) my elbows definitely don’t touch the floor either side into the T shape, I, can feel tightness in pectorals and across front of armpits, so am looking forward to moving through this tissue tightness by watching my progress each day.
But I could to the bug exercises with elbows on floor, as lower arms are facing downwards in an upside down L shape, so must be something to do with rotator cuff ROM.
For the dead bug, am i supposed to feel the middle of my back flat against the floor? If i start feeling my weight move to the pelvis, have i put my legs out too far? or am i supposed to go up until it just barely happens? or am i supposed to stop just before it happens? Because from what i can tell it seems as if i gotta keep my knees as close to my chest as possible just to feel my middle back flat against the floor, and any movement at all i start feeling that im losing the middle back against the floor.
GREAT question! It tells me you really understand the goal of baby back and the back support zone, Daniel.
The first goal is to get your thighs perpendicular to the floor. Try using the push away from your elbows (this will recruit your upper quarter for more core support) and sending your breath into your back to help you keep your center of gravity in your back support zone.
Our 15 yr. old son has had forward head posture for a few years now, and the other therapies and devices we have tried have not made any difference. One focused on stretching/traction, one on strengthening the neck muscles, and one similar to myobalance, but the excercises were long and boring and we had a hard time getting through them every day. Are there any adjustments you would make for a still-growing young man, or should he do the exercises just as shown?
No, I would not modify the exercises. The biggest key to the foreward head is getting movement in the mid to upper thoracic spine. Foam Angels are critical as well as the t4 mobilizations.
All of it has to be built on the “baby belly” framework where connection to back support zone is respected at all times.
Hi …. great exercises. I’ve only done these a few times and already feel a difference. Just wondering about the exercise with weight (the ball), it seems to have been cut out. Did you intend to cut it out or is my video somehow skipping this exercise?
Again, thanks for these exercises …. they are absolutely awesome!
Hey Gisele!
I’m curious…what specific benefits are you feeling from the exercises so far?
I’m not quite sure which exercise with ball/weight you’re referring to. There are lots of other moves in the home training course but this fundamentals series does not involve any weight / medicine balls / etc.
Thank you for your response … that clip with the medicinal ball is only a couple of seconds then it cuts to another exercise.
After doing this video I feel the pain slipping away. The tightness and pain dissipates. I was diagnosed with c4,c5,c6 bulging discs with a bone spur and Cervical Foraminal Stenosis I have suffered with this for about 5 years. I don’t always have pain, mostly the pain comes after I’ve attempted an upper body exercise, whether a real exercise or just vaccuming the house! Recently we bought a little 6-speed/2 seater sports car and just by sitting low and shifting it aggravated my neck/shoulder/arm. I used to have lots of tightness in the infraspinatus/teres major and teres minor area. A chiropractor worked out these kinks with the graston technique. I also work on these at home with a thera cane, and I own a cervical traction device which does help most of the time. However, I’m always searching for more …. I would like to get rid of this enough so that I could work my upper body again, and the exercises in your video help tremendously!
I have a hard time doing the snow angels …. not that it hurts, just that my arms seem to get stuck halfway up. I’m so tight that it’s hard to go to the end, up above my head. I go real slow and can make it perpendicular to my shoulders but can’t touch my hands together over my head. I know that eventually I will loosen up and will be able to do this exercise fully.
Again, thank you so much for these exercises 🙂
Yes, our clients are always amazed at how much mobility they gain with continued angel work. Could be your key link.
The whole process creates a sort of “active traction” with the push away intention which may explain your improvement.
Keep it up, Gisele!
drh
Hello Dr.Hoffman
I live in Dubai and i wish you had a place here that I could go and learn> Thank you so much for making it available to people can’t come to exercise with you and train in you Institute. There is a problem here I couldn’t find the foam roll ,I am still not giving up but it can happened that I can’t buy it here . Any idea what should I use or do ?
Hi Viola, here is a link for the foam rolls we use at our office. http://www.optp.com/AXIS-Roller-Silver-Series.aspx
You can also just do the exercise on the floor or use a makeshift one with a “swimming noodle” wrapped tightly in some blankets to increase bulk.
Hope that helps you.
drh
Dr. Steve,
Thank you so much it works great with “swimming noodle” and blanket.
Do you ever come to Dubai to train some Doctors to be good as you ?
I do these stretches in pilates. I keep up with them everyday. But the lunge is where I’m getting that pain in my buttocks on the left side.
hurts to walk, walk up steps but not down, hurts running the first mile or two after that I don’t feel it until the next day. Can’t find a stretch that hits this spot. Piraformis???
Tough call, lots of areas refer pain into glutes. Spinal facet joints, SI joints, muscular trigger points, etc.
You can always try piriformis / hip stretch as a test. search piriformis stretch in google and you should see mine at or near the top.
drh
found a stretch and today a bit better. So maybe onto something. Thanks. I’m going to keep doing your CPS exercises and add them to my daily routine. Thank you so much.
Reviewed the exercises and can’t wait to get a foam roller and hit the mat!!! As I told you before I am trying this so I do not end up like my mother and on the highest perscribed pain meds for her chronic low back pain. I hope to be abe to show her these exercises and help her to loosen up all of her tight muscles. Although I think her situation is pretty chronic, Ostomy surgery for colon cancer 5 years ago, the loss of my father the day she came home from her surgery, and most recently the death of my sister who lived with her have created a lot of her stress that she carries with her. Even at 73 I hope she can find even a small amount of relieft from her pain but with all of her issues including sever scholiosis I am doubtful that I can help her. Would it be advisable to show her the exercises and work with her daily to start loosening up her posture or would I be aggravating her current situation? I appreciate you putting this on the internet to help people understand the connnection between posture and pain. One question do recliners help with easing her pain or aggravate the whole posture probem? Thank you again!!!!
Even if your mom just learned proper breathing and a few things from the course she could benefit immensely. The material gives a lot of opportunity to start small and work your way up.
Just don’t let her spine go into what I call a “C slump” (recliners are notorious for that depending on their support / stiffness) where the entire spine looks like a “C”. Give a little support with a towel or pillow in her low back. She can absolutely do some of the movement therapy in the material. Just keep her moving!
Maybe not the foam angels right away…that might be a bit too much.
For the foam angel, should i do both level 1 and 2 right away or should i do level 1 until i don’t feel any stretching, then move on to level 2? Also i am finding it impossible to anchor myself, the base of my spine is the same level as my shoulder-blades creating an arch and in between i can’t keep my ribs on the roll, they are in the air above, i can put my hand in between my back and the roll, what should i do?
put a folded towel or small pillow in the gap to bring the roll to you. It’s like training wheels for your deep core system.
I have done alot of yoga and find your exercises amazing. Gentle and effectively isolates the problem areas.
We have just got a puppy and I have been doing alot of walking. I am now in pain, mainly shoulders and lower back and right knee. I tried these gentle exercises and it has really highlighted for me the tension is caused by my poor posture. 3 questions:
1 – Can I do the lunge with my back knee on a foam support? Being suspended seems a little hard right now?
2 – I am using my rolled yoga mat as a substitute for the foam roller with a block on its short side to rest my head. My head is supported slightly higher than the mat. It feels like this is an effective substitute to the foam roll. Should I switch to a foam roller – if so why?
3 – What should i focus on when i walk to set up a better posture?
I would appreciate your feedback.
1. Absolutely
2. The mat is fine. I find the foam roll gives more direct lift and support to the spine and therefore allows more gravity induced relaxation to normally flexed forward tissue. I would test it for yourself and see how you feel.
3. Same things as you focus on while in baby belly / baby back. Pubic bone forward, intention of pushing away from support points.
Hope that helps!
drh
Thanks for replying to my 3 questions – I am feeling benefits even though I have not been doing the exercise too regularly. I am encouraged to do it more often.