Strong Back & Core

While we are not able to meet in-person for Kaiser Permanente’s Strong Back & Core class at the moment, you’ve unlocked some extra content! Below you will find a 12-week program to strengthen your back and core. Each week will focus on one exercise you can do at home. You can do these exercises right when you wake up, on your lunch hour, whenever! Click below for your weekly exercises.

Week 1

KNEE TO CHEST – On Back/Single Leg

How to do this –

  1. Lie on your back with knees bent, feet on the floor, toes forward.
  2. Lift one foot from the floor while bending your leg.
  3. Interlace fingers behind leg, just under the knee.
  4. Gently pull leg toward your chest.
  5. Once you feel a comfortable stretch, hold there.
  6. Keep legs and hips as relaxed as possible.
  7. Return foot to the floor and repeat on the opposite side.

Benefits:

  1. Releases muscle tension of the low back.
  2. May reduce stiffness associated with spinal arthritis.

KNEE TO CHEST – On Back/Double Leg

How to do this –

  1. Bring one knee toward chest and then the other
  2. Hold each version of this stretch for at least 10-15 seconds.

Benefits:

  1. Releases muscle tension of the low back.
  2. May reduce stiffness associated with spinal arthritis.

KNEE TO CHEST – Sitting on Chair

How to do this – Sit tall in a chair with good posture, both feet on the floor, toes forward.

  1. Relax your shoulders.
  2. Lift one knee and use both hands to gently pull knee toward your chest.
  3. Hands can be placed behind your knee or on the shin.
  4. Once you feel a comfortable stretch, hold there.

Benefits:

  1. Releases muscle tension of the low back.
  2. May reduce stiffness associated with spinal arthritis.

Week 2

PELVIC TILT

How to do this – Lying on Back

  1. Lie on your back with knees bent, feet on the floor and toes facing forward.
  2. Place the arms down by your sides.
  3. Tilt your tailbone upward as you lift your rear one inch off the floor.  (No more than two inches)
  4. Pull your navel back toward the spine as the hips tilt upward.
  5. Slowly bring your hips back to the floor.
  6. Repeat 8-12 times.

Benefits:

  1. Develops support for the low back, abdominal muscles and sacroiliac joints.
  2. Stretches and relieves soreness of the low back.
  3. Increases mobility of the lower back.

Week 3

CAT/COW – Quadruped

How to do this –

  1. Begin on hands and knees with spine neutral; wrists under shoulders and knees under hips
  2. Round your spine up to form a C curve; thread navel toward spine and shift tailbone downward.
  3. As you press upper back away from the mat, gaze toward tailbone
  4. Next, allow your belly to drop slowly as the tailbone and gaze lift to form a concave back.
  5. Hold for 2-5 seconds then switch to previous position
  6. Repeat entire sequence 5-10 times

Benefits:

  1. Stretches and warms up the entire spine.
  2. Strengthens and stretches the neck.
  3. Lengthens muscles contracted from long periods of sitting.
  4. Massages organs in the belly like kidneys and adrenal glands.

Week 4

FIGURE 4 STRETCH – Lying on Back

How to do this –

  1. Lie on your back with both feet on the floor, toes pointed forward.
  2. Cross L foot over R thigh as you bend your L knee.
  3. Hold the back of your R thigh and gently pull toward your chest.
  4. When you feel a comfortable stretch, hold there.
  5. Switch sides and repeat.
  6. Hold stretch for at least 10-15 seconds.

Benefits:

  1. Releases and stretches the muscles of the gluteus and hips.
  2. Relieves backaches and sciatica.

FIGURE 4 STRETCH – Sitting in Chair

How to do this –

  1. Sit tall in a chair with good posture, both feet on the floor, toes facing forward.
  2. Relax your shoulders
  3. Cross L foot over R thigh as you bend your L knee
  4. Hinge slightly forward at the hips and stay long and neutral through the spine.
  5. Once you feel a comfortable stretch, hold there.
  6. Hold stretch for at least 15-30 seconds.

Benefits:

  1. Releases and stretches the muscles of the gluteus and hips.
  2. Relieves backaches and sciatica.

Week 5

SPINE TWIST – Lying on Back

How to do this –

  1. Extend your arm wide to a T position.
  2. Anchor both shoulders gently to the floor.
  3. Slowly lower both knees to the R and turn your head L.
  4. Gently bring knees to center and repeat on opposite side.
  5. Hold stretch for at least 15-30 seconds.

Benefits:

  1. Improves digestion and processing of the liver and kidneys.
  2. Relieves backaches and sciatica.
  3. Stretches the upper and lower body.

SPINE TWIST – Sitting in Chair

How to do this –

  1. Sit tall in a chair with good posture, both feet on the floor, toes facing forward.
  2. Relax your shoulders.
  3. Cross L leg (at knee) over R leg.
  4. Twist slowly to the L and try to look over your L shoulder.
  5. Return smoothly to center and repeat on opposite side.
  6. Hold stretch for at least 10-15 seconds.

Benefits:

  1. Improves digestion and processing of the liver and kidneys.
  2. Relieves backaches and sciatica.
  3. Stretches the upper and lower body.

Week 6

BACK EXTENSION – Lying Face Down

How to do this –

  1. Lie face down, hands placed under shoulders and feet separated.
  2. Slowly lift your head, shoulders and chest off the floor, leading with the breastbone, to arch your lower back.
  3. Relax your shoulder to create distance between the ears and shoulders.
  4. Gaze slightly downward to lengthen the neck and avoid neck strain.
  5. Hold stretch for 10-15 seconds and lower torso to floor.
  6. To gradually increase flexibility in the low back, extend the arms partially or fully depending on what feels good.
  7. Repeat 5-10 times.

Benefits:

  1. Improves the function of your spine.
  2. Counterbalances the postural stress of forward living.
  3. Strengthens the muscles in your low back which keep the spine upright and helps protect your spine from injury. These muscles get stressed with continuous bending and slouching forward.

Week 7

BIRD DOG – Progression from Quadruped

How to do this –

  1. Only progress to next move once you feel balanced and confident.
  2. Begin on your hands and knees with neutral spine; wrists under shoulders and knees under hips.
  3. Slowey extend L leg behind you with focus on length over height.
  4. Establish balance.
  5. Slowly extend R arm overhead with focus on length over height.
  6. Hold for 2-5 seconds before changing sides.
  7. Repeat from the beginning lifting and extending opposite limbs.

Benefits:

  1. Increases low back function by engaging both core and back muscles simultaneously.
  2. Helps to align and stabilize your spine.
  3. Reduces low back pain.
  4. Good exercise to recover from back injury or pain.

Week 8

PARTIAL CRUNCH – Lying on Back

How to do this –

  1. Lie on your back with knees bent, feet on the floor, toes facing forward.
  2. Place hands behind your head with elbows wide and not hugging them around your ears.
  3. Slightly raise head and tilt chin toward chest eyes to thighs.
  4. Raise shoulders from the floor but keep the low back imprinted to the mat.
  5. Abdominal muscles stay tight as you hold for one second.
  6. Lower shoulders and repeat 8-12 times.

Benefits:

  1. Strengthens back and core muscles.
  2. Protects your low back, unlike full or traditional crunches.

Week 9

CHILD’S POSE – Quadruped

How to do this –

  1. Begin on your hands and knees with spine neutral; wrists under shoulders and knees under hips.
  2. Knees can be narrow or as wide as your mat, whichever feels best.
  3. Feet can be flexed or unflexed where tops of feet are on the floor.
  4. Sit back into your hips as far as you feel comfortable.
  5. Allow forehead to relax on the floor while belly rests on or between thighs.
  6. Keep your neck in a neutral position. If this is difficult, place a towel or yoga block under the forehead.
  7. There are two arm variations: 1) Stretch arms in front of you, palms facing down, or 2) bring arms back by your sides, palms facing up.
  8. Rest into this pose for 15-30 seconds, or as long as you feel comfortable.

Benefits:

  1. Helps stretch the hips and thighs, ankles and low back.
  2. Reduces stress and fatigue to the body.

Week 10

HAMSTRING STRETCH – Lying on Back

How to do this –

  1. Lie flat on your back with both feet on the floor.
  2. Draw right knee to chest and hold the back of the knee.
  3. Slowly extend your leg toward the sky until you feel a stretch in the back of your leg.
  4. Hold stretch for at least 15-30 seconds & repeat on left leg

Benefits:

  1. Helps to improve posture.
  2. Releases tension in hips, knees, pelvis, spine and back of the legs.
  3. Tight hamstrings create a downward pull on your pelvis, which can cause back pain so stretching them can relieve back pain.

Week 11

SCAPULAR RETRACTION – Standing or Seated

How to do this –

  1. Sit or stand with good posture; long spine, breastbone lifted, shoulders squared and not shrugged.
  2. Extend arms to the sides, palms up, elbows slightly bent.
  3. Gently draw elbows & shoulder blades inward toward spine.

Benefits:

  1. Helps correct postural imbalances that come from forward living, like rounded shoulders.
  2. Helps keep shoulder joints limber.
  3. Helps prevent dragging your upper back into kyphosis, an abnormally hunched forward spine.
  4. Makes it easier to breathe and move freely without the weight of your arms pulling you downward.

Week 12

WALL SIT – Standing

How to do this –

  1. Stand approximately 10 -12 inches from the wall, toes facing forward.
  2. Carefully lean back until your back is pressed flat against the wall.
  3. With back pressed to the wall, glide downward while bending the knees.  Walk feet forward as needed to keep knees aligned behind the toes.
  4. Do not allow the buttocks to slide lower than knee height.
  5. Hold for 5-10 seconds.
  6. Glide back up along the wall to return to standing position.
  7. Repeat 8-12 times.

Benefits:

  1. When your low back is sore, doing wall sits will helps strengthen your lower body and take pressure off your back from too much sitting.
  2. You can experience the effects of a squat without causing stress to the lower back because the back is stable against the wall.

Bonus

PLANK – From Quadruped

How to do this –

  1. Begin on your hands and knees with spine neutral; wrists under shoulders and knees under hips.
  2. Step back one foot at a time to bring your body into a straight line.
  3. Stay firm like a plank of wood with no sagging in the low back or piking the hips upward.
  4. Align wrists under shoulders.
  5. Keep shoulders relaxed but stable.
  6. Lower to knees if extended legs are too difficult.
  7. Hold for 2-5 seconds and return to quadruped
  8. Repeat 8-12 times.

Benefits:

  1. Strengthens core and back muscles which provide support for the spine.
  2. The core muscles are strengthened both front and back simultaneously.

Exercises written by Pam Staver-Ramey, Strong Back & Core Developer & Instructor.