Exercise of the week!

Exercise of the Week~ Strengthen Hips & Core

Exercise of the Week- Childs Pose

Child’s Pose- Spinal Flexion

Difficulty: EASY

(consult your chiropractor before doing this or any other exercise.)

START: Place a mat on the floor. Position your body as shown in Image #1, with a spine in a neutral position.

EXERCISE: Try to move spine into a fully flexed position. Let hips approximate your heels, and relax muscles of spine.  Let head lower toward floor. Place arms out in front of you, or relax them by your sides.

Hold for 15-60 seconds.

Return to neutral position and rest for 15 seconds.  Repeat 5-10X.

Exercise of the Week

Exercise of the Week- Lumbar extension – “lazy cow

Difficulty: Beginner to Moderate
(Consult your chiropractor before engaging in this or any other exercise.)

Start: On hands and knees. Be aware of position of spine – start
with a neutral spine or a flat back.
Exercise: Allow spine to sag toward floor, bringing lumbar
spine into full extension. Also extend neck by bringing chin up
toward the ceiling. Hold for 10-15 seconds.

 

Exercise of the Week Calve Stretch Variation 4

 

Difficulty: Easy

Start: Standing on a stable box, or a step. Use handrails or a wall
for balance.

Exercise: Place one foot behind you so heel of that foot extends
past edge of box/step. Lean into back foot, allowing heel to drop
below height of box/step.

Keep knee straight to focus on gastrocnemius muscle, or bend knee to focus on soleus muscle.

Hold for 30-60 seconds. Switch sides and repeat 2X per side

Exercise of the Week Calf Stretch, Variation 2

Difficulty: Easy
(Consult your chiropractor before doing this or any other exercise.)

Start: Standing behind a chair, or in front of a wall. Place hands on backrest or wall for balance.

Exercise: Place one foot behind other. Keeping heel on floor, bend knee and lean hips forward.

You should feel tension behind lower leg, close to ankle. Hold for 30-60 seconds, relaxing muscles of lower leg. Switch sides, and repeat 2X per side.

Exercise of the Week-Calve Stretch

 

Variation 1
Difficulty: Easy
(Consult your chiropractor before doing this or any other exercise.)
Start: Standing behind a chair or in front of a wall. Place hands on
backrest or wall for balance.

Exercise: Bring one foot behind as far as possible, keeping heel
on floor and knee straight.
You should feel tension behind lower leg, close to knee.
Lean hips toward chair or wall to increase lengthening effect.
Hold for 30-60 seconds, relaxing muscles of lower leg. Switch
sides, and repeat 2X per side.

Exercise of the Week

Lateral Flexion + Forward Flexion

Difficulty: Easy to moderate
(Consult your chiropractor before doing this or any other exercise.)

Start: Sit upright in chair.

Exercise: Place one hand on top of head, with fingers pointing
down toward opposite shoulder, behind ear (image 2). Then, allow
neck to relax as weight of arm pulls head and neck gently forward and to opposite side (image 3). Chin should be pointing down toward knee, and you should not feel pain in this position. Drop shoulder on side you feel the stretch. Hold for 20-30 seconds. Switch sides, and
repeat 2X per side.

Exercise of the Week

 

Range of Motion: Rotation

Difficulty: Easy
(Consult your chiropractor before doing this or any other exercise.)

Start: Sit upright in chair.

Exercise: Turn head as far to one side as you can. Stop when you
feel resistance to movement, but no pain. Hold for 10-15 seconds.

Then, turn head as far to other side as you can.

Once again, stop when you feel resistance, but no
pain. Hold for 10-15 seconds.
Repeat 5-10X per side.

Exercise of the Week

 

Exercise 1 – Range of Motion:
Flexion/Extension

Difficulty: Easy
(Consult your chiropractor before doing this or any other exercise.)

Start: Sit upright in chair.

Exercise: Bring chin down toward chest. Stop at point you feel resistance to movement, but no pain. Hold for 10-15 seconds. Then, move head back as far as it will go, bringing chin up toward ceiling. Stop when you feel resistance, but no pain.
Try not to compress back of neck when you do this. Hold for 10-15
seconds. Repeat 5-10X.

Exercise of the Week–Standing Quadiceps

Standing Quadriceps Stretch

Difficulty: Easy
(Consult your chiropractor before doing this or any other exercise.)

Start: Standing beside a chair.

Exercise: Reach for one foot, and hold it behind you. Keeping
knees close together bring foot up toward buttocks until you feel a
light pull along front of thigh.

Hold for 30-60 seconds. Switch sides, and repeat 2X per side.

Exercise of the Week

Hamstring Stretch

Difficulty: Easy
(Consult your chiropractor before starting this or any other exercise.)
Start: Standing in front of a chair.

Exercise: Place one foot up on chair, with leg straight. Slowly bend forward, reaching toward foot.

Stop and hold when you feel a light pull behind leg. Hold for 30-60 seconds, relaxing muscles of upper leg. Switch sides, and repeat 2X per side

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Exercise of the Week

Seated Glute Stretch

Difficulty: Easy
(Consult your chiropractor before starting this or any other exercise.)

Start: Seated on a chair.

Exercise: Place one ankle on opposite knee.

Then, bend forward until you feel a good stretch in hip. Also relax lower back in this position. Hold for 30-60 seconds, and then return to starting position. Switch sides, and repeat 2X per side.

 

Exercise of the Week

Pelvic Rotations – Leg Straight

Difficulty: Moderate

(Consult your chiropractor before starting this or any other exercise.)
Start: Lie down on back with legs straight, resting on floor. Place
arms out to side, palms up.

Exercise: Extend one leg straight up, feet pointing toward ceiling. Then, let leg roll all the way across body so that foot touches floor. Place hand on knee to keep it in that position.

Hold for 30-60 seconds, and then return to starting position. Switch sides, and repeat 2X per side

Exercise of the Week Pelvic Rotations – Knees Together

 

Difficulty: Easy
(Consult your chiropractor before starting this or any other exercise.)
Start: Lie down on back with legs bent to 90 degrees and feet on
floor. Place arms out to side, palms up.

Exercise: Bring knees together.
Then, let legs roll all the way to side so that knee rests on floor.

Hold for 30-60 seconds, and then return to starting position. Switch sides, and repeat 2X per side.

Exercise of the Week- Lumbar Stabilization (stage 3)

Plank Position

Difficulty: Moderate
(Consult your chiropractor before engaging this or any other exercise.)

Start: Lie down on stomach. Then, begin by propping upper
body up onto elbows/forearms, with hands together in prayer
position. Engage inner abdominal muscles by bringing belly button inward. Keeping spine steady, lift hips and knees so you’re resting on toes, creating a straight line from ankles to shoulders.

Exercise: Keeping spine steady, lift one leg 6-8 inches. Hold this position for 10-20 seconds. (Option 1)
If this is relatively easy, try bringing that leg horizontally out
to side as far as you can, keeping torso steady. Hold this position
for 10-20 seconds. (Option 2)

Switch legs, and repeat. Perform 3-5 sets of this exercise per side.
Be careful not to strain lower back.

Exercise of the Week

Lumbar Stabilization – Dead Bug

Difficulty: Moderate
(Consult your chiropractor before starting this or any other exercise.)

Start: Lie on back with knees and hips bent to 90 degrees and feet
elevated. Both arms should be straight, with fingertips pointing up toward ceiling.

Exercise: Draw belly button
inward toward spine. Then, while keeping spine steady, slowly
straighten/lower one leg toward floor. At same time, bring opposite arm over head (toward floor). Pause for 1-2 counts, then
return to starting position.

Alternate arms/legs. Perform 5-10 sets per side