The lower back has a high
propensity to get hurt while skiing or wakeboarding. Several doctors
and physical therapists have recommended me the following exercises.
1. Lay down, facing up on a flat and steady surface with your legs bent. Relax,
take a deep breathe, try to align your back and exhale. Repeat 5 to 10 times.
2. With your legs bent, take
your right knee to your chest with the help of your hands. This
movement SHOULD be slow. The object of this is to stretch the back
muscles not to tear them. If you feel any pain, don’t pull
any further. Try to push the leg against your hands and not just
pull towards your chest. Repeat this movement 10 times with each
leg releasing the air when pulling your leg and breathing in the
original position.
3. Once the back muscles are warm you can try the same exercise,
while stretching the other leg and pulling the knee further into
the chest.
4. The next exercise would be to take both knees at the same time
and pull them with your arms into your chest. It is important that
you keep the movement slow and controlled. When you pull your legs
breathe in and exhale when you get them back. If you feel any pain,
stop and try to get passed that point bit by bit.
5. The following abdominals seem very simple, but they are the base to strengthen
the lower back. Most of the backaches are caused by a lack of strength in the
abs. You should start with your entire back touching the floor, your arms crossed
over your chest, your elbows lifted towards the ceiling and your head facing
up. Try to lift from the chest to the head only. Lift slowly, try to hold that
position for 2 or 3 seconds and lay back. When you lift release the air and when
you lay back breathe in. When you lay back do not relax the abs. You should do
3 series of 10 to 15 abdominals. If you do them properly you won’t be able
to do more than 20 and you will feel how all the abdominals are working.
6. Many times the backaches are so strong that they go
all the way down into the leg. In my case this was one of the exercises that
helped me the most. Keep your entire back touching the floor with one leg stretched,
the other one flexed and both hands to your sides. Slowly lift the stretched
leg while putting pressure in both directions. Once up, hold your leg at 85 degrees
from floor level and take it back into the floor without touching the floor.
When lifting the leg exhale.
7. This exercise should be done slowly and feel how all the back
muscles stretch. Try to get to the position in the picture slowly
and stay in it for 10 seconds, while breathing and relaxing. Don’t
force this position.
8. Facing down, being on all fours, curve up your back and release
the air. Keep this position for a couple of seconds, get back to
the initial position, relax and repeat 5 times.
9. Being on all fours raise your arm and stretch
it. Feel how your back aligns. Repeat this exercise 5 times with
each arm.
10. Like the previous exercise, lift your right
arm and left leg and maintain the position for a couple of seconds.
Try to align your back and repeat 5 times with each arm.
11. Sit on your heels and stretch your arms
away from you while stretching your back. Take a deep breathe holding
the same position and go back to being on all fours.
12. A big mistake that most people make is how
they get up after doing this exercises or how they get out of bed.
You should roll and help yourselves with your hands.
If you do this exercises 3 times a day,
the backache should disappear in 5 days approximately.
If you have any questions or comments please
write to: arturo@aqa.com.mx