Exercises for the lumbar spine
Before you start the exercise program for the lumbar spine, it is recommended to get your circulation going with light loosening and movement exercises (about 3-5 minutes). For example, by light jogging in place, while stretching your arms up to the ceiling. While jogging, circle your arms forward and backward, then lift your knees and kick your heels to your buttocks. In between, breathe deeply, and shake out your arms and legs.
Relaxation
Place your feet against the wall so that your thighs and lower legs form a right angle. Apply slight pressure against the wall with your feet and press your spine into the floor. As you do this, feel how the tension spreads through your body. Then slowly release the tension again.
Goal: Body awareness. Sensing muscle tension and relaxation.
Exercises - Basic Tension Supine Position
Arms lie beside the body, legs are slightly bent; pull the toes up, press the heels into the floor, tense the abdominal and gluteal muscles, and while doing so press the lower back (lumbar spine) into the floor.
Goal: Tension of the abdominal muscles, fixation of the lumbar spine.
Touch the knee with the left hand—hold the tension for 5–10 seconds. Then perform the same exercise on the other side. When performed correctly, the head and both shoulders are slightly lifted off the floor.
Goal: Strengthening the oblique abdominal muscles.
Exercises - Supine position
Build up basic tension - slightly lift head and shoulder. Lift the bent arms and press against an imaginary resistance. Exercise extension: Draw the legs in a little and press evenly with both hands against the thighs.
Goal: Strengthening the straight abdominal muscles.
Press your right arm and left leg into the floor, bend your right leg, slightly lift your head and shoulder, and press your left hand against your knee - build full-body tension. Then switch sides.
Goal: Muscle training from the shoulder girdle to the calf, with a focus on the oblique abdominal muscles.
Legs are slightly bent, the feet are about shoulder-width apart, flat on the floor. Slowly lift the hips so that the spine is lifted off the floor piece by piece. Now tense the abdominal and gluteal muscles so that the torso forms a line.
Goal: Strengthening the core muscles, building body tension.
Grasp the right knee firmly with both hands and pull it toward your chest. Now extend your arms and press firmly with the knee against the resistance of your hands. Then do the same with the left leg. Exercise variation: pull both legs in, briefly tucking your head between your legs.
Goal: Stretching and strengthening of the thigh, gluteal, and back muscles.
Exercise - Basic tension prone position
To avoid a hollow back posture, place a firm cushion or a folded blanket under your abdomen. Forehead rests on the floor, the hands on the buttocks. Tense the gluteal and abdominal muscles, push the heels back, slightly lift the head and stretch it forward.
Goal: Body tension and extension. Stabilization of the back muscles.
Exercises - Prone Position
The arms lie beside the head in a U shape. Build up basic tension, simultaneously lift both arms and push the shoulder blades together toward the spine.
Exercise extension: perform swimming movements with the arms.
Goal: strengthening of the entire back musculature, stretching of the chest musculature.
Place your arms slightly bent forward on the floor. Build up basic tension, slightly lift arms and upper body, and slowly shift to the left and right - relax. Caution: Do not arch your back!
Goal: Strengthening the back muscles.
Exercises - All-fours position
Support yourself on your hands (elbows slightly bent) and knees - keep your back straight by engaging the abdominal and gluteal muscles. Alternately extend one leg backward, draw the toes toward you, and push your head forward again (do not lift the leg higher than horizontal).
Goal: Strengthening of the gluteal and back muscles, training of balance.
