Micromovements for deep back muscles Very important for the movement and support of the spine are the back muscles, which are long and short. The long muscles of the back, especially in thin people, are easy to see: these are thick muscle rollers located on the sides

Wave gymnastics for the deep muscles of the back In isometric gymnastics, there are a number of exercises to relax the deep muscles of the back and spine. Their implementation creates a wave of micro-movements that are transmitted from vertebra to vertebra, relaxing precisely

Examination of the muscles of the back The muscles of the back include the long rectifier of the back, the multifidus muscle, the deep interspinous and small transverse muscle, the psoas major muscle, the square muscle of the lower back. The visually identifiable paravertebral muscles are the rectifier

Help with back pain - blocks and muscle spasms

The main cause of many diseases is associated with spasms of deep short lateral and medial intertransverse muscles of the lower back and interspinous muscles! Moreover, in a state of spasm, these muscles can stay for years, causing muscle. Thus, the muscle develops not as a result of dystrophy and protrusion, and not as a result of neighboring bone growths.

The primary pathological process is the excessive tension of these muscles (awkward rotation of the torso, excessive flexion, hypothermia of the back, an infectious disease, prolonged static muscle tension , arising - when improper fit a person at a computer, when carrying a bag on one shoulder, etc.), exceeding their working voltage, which leads to a long, reflexively fixed tension, a reflex spasm of these muscles.

For all patients with osteochondrosis, massage, self-massage, exercises in water, swimming, especially in the breaststroke style and on the back, are useful. Useful exercises to strengthen the muscles of the back and abdominals, which are included in the complexes of exercises. With muscle tension, compression of the nerve roots increases and blood supply worsens.

Therefore, it is so important to include relaxation exercises in classes, which must be alternated with special exercises. First of all, you need to learn how to carry the main load:

• slow, rhythmic movements that stretch the tonic muscle (repeat 6-15 times, 20 seconds break);
• under the action of gravity, create a position for the tonic muscle, stretching it, the stretching phase lasts 20 seconds, a 20-second break, repeat 15-20 times;
• tension of the tonic muscle against resistance for 10 seconds, then 8 seconds of relaxation and stretching, repeat 3-6 times;
• tension of the tonic muscle group against resistance from the opposite side for 10 seconds, 8 seconds of relaxation, stretching of the muscle group, repeat 3-6 times.

2) Get down on all fours, resting on the floor with your knees and palms. Press your chin to your chest. Now bend your back up, rounding it.

3) The same, but in a standing position: put your hands on your belt, turn your elbows forward. Press your chin to your chest and round your back, arching it back.

4) Lie on your stomach, put your hands under your hips, straighten and bring your legs together. Lift your feet off the ground, trying to raise them as high as possible. Hold them in the maximum position until the count of "two" and slowly lower them.

5) Continue to lie on your stomach, but clasp your hands behind your back. Raise your head and lift your shoulders off the floor, extending your palms towards your feet. Hold the maximum position to the count of "two" and slowly lower.

6) Roll onto your back. Pull your knees up to your chest with your hands. Bend your head towards your knees. Stay in this position for a few seconds, then relax.

Complex for the lower back

1) Half push-ups. Lie on your stomach. Without lifting your pelvis off the floor, do push-ups on your hands, arching your back.

2) Roll onto your back. Press your feet firmly to the floor, bend your knees. With your arms crossed, place your palms on your shoulders. Raise your head and shoulders as high as possible, while pressing your lower back and feet to the floor. Stay in this position until the count of two.

3) Land navigation. Lie on your stomach and raise your left arm and right leg as if you were swimming in a crawl. Hold for a count of two, then switch arms and legs as if you were swimming.

4) Visit the pool, but make sure the water is warm. For chronic low back pain, swimming helps without equal.

All of the above exercises should be performed with a positive emotional attitude, at an average pace, with even breathing. Most importantly: after the phase of tension, a phase of complete relaxation must necessarily follow, otherwise the exercises will lose their meaning.

When doing any of the above exercises, be careful. If they hurt, stop doing them. But if after a day or two after exercise you feel an improvement, then they are safe for you.

Physical education is physical education, but there are others important nuances which are useful to remember.

Choose a chair that provides good back support. If this option is adjustable, start at the lowest position and work your way up until you find the most comfortable one.

Try to keep your head straight without lowering or lifting your chin. If you have to look at the monitor for a long time, set it at eye level.

When it's cold and damp outside, don't forget to wrap your neck with a scarf.

At sedentary work, even if your job is in Krasnodar, where the climate is great and working conditions are excellent, take short breaks to warm up regularly (about once an hour). You can just walk along the corridor, climb the stairs two or three floors. But it will be better to stretch and bend.

There is such a very useful invention: fitball. Exercises performed on large (55-65 cm) rubber balls are not only exciting, but also extremely beneficial for the back and neck.

Sign up for physical therapy. Modern medicine has reached incredible heights, and the doctor will prescribe you precisely and purposefully selected exercises. The main thing here is less independence.

Try to eat healthy food and indulge in negative emotions less. Stress is one of the main causes of muscle strain.

It is useful to hang on the crossbar, if possible. Make it at home, for example, in some doorway. Each time you pass by, hang for a few seconds, dangling moderately in different directions. The muscles of the back at the same time noticeably relax, and they strive to return to their normal position.

Visit a chiropractor to put it in place. But remember: having a license from a medical center does not in itself give its employees the right to dig in your back. Each specific therapist must have a personal certificate and permission to conduct therapeutic manipulations.

Many neck and back problems start with the wrong place to sleep. It is important to have a firm mattress that does not sag deep in the middle. The pillow should also not be overly soft, sometimes it should be completely abandoned. And it is best to purchase a special orthopedic mattress and pillow. Their shape is specially selected to help relax the muscles of the back and. On such sweet you fall asleep, barely relieved, and wake up completely rested.

Back exercises

We offer you a set of very easy exercises that can be performed lying on your back. Its main advantage is that each exercise allows you to stretch the muscles of those parts of the body that are difficult to relax in a normal position. The complex can be used for easy stretching and relaxation.

Back Exercises #1

Bend your knees, bring the soles of your feet together and relax. In such a pleasant position, the groin muscles are stretched. Hold for 30 seconds. Let gravity stretch this area of ​​the body naturally. For greater comfort, you can put a small pillow under your head.

Exercise option for the back number 1

Without changing position, smoothly swing your legs from side to side 10-12 times. In this case, the legs should act towards one part of the body (indicated by the dotted line). Movements are performed easily and smoothly, with an amplitude of no more than 2-3 cm in each direction. The movement should start from the hips.
This exercise develops flexibility in the groin and hips.

Back Exercises #2

Pressing the right leg with the left, try to pull the right leg towards the body. In this way, you contract the thigh muscles (Fig. 1). Hold the tension for 5 seconds, then relax and repeat the previous one (Fig. 2). This way of performing the exercise is especially useful for people with stiff muscles.

Back Exercises #4

To relieve tension in the area

In the prone position, you can stretch the upper part and neck. Interlace your fingers behind your head at about ear level. Start slowly pulling your head up until you feel a slight stretch in the area. Hold for 3-5 seconds, then slowly return to the starting position. Do the exercise 3-4 times to gradually loosen the tension of the upper part and. lower jaw relax (there should be a small gap between the molars) and breathe rhythmically.

Back Exercises #5

In a prone position with legs bent at the knees, clasp your fingers behind your head (not on your neck). Before stretching the back, gently lift your head from the floor up and forward. Then begin to press your head down to the floor, but with the effort of your hands, counteract this movement. Hold this static contraction for 3-4 seconds. Relax for 1-2 seconds, then begin to gently pull your head forward with your hands (as in the previous exercise) so that the chin moves towards the navel until you feel light, pleasant. Hold the position for 3-5 seconds. Repeat 2-3 times.

Gently pull your head and chin to the left. Hold the position for 3-5 seconds. Relax and lower your head to the floor, then pull it to the right. Repeat 2-3 times.

Keeping your head in a relaxed position on the floor, turn your chin to your shoulder. Rotate your chin just enough to feel a slight stretch on the side. Hold the position for 3-5 seconds, then repeat on the other side. Repeat 2-3 times. The lower jaw should be relaxed and breathing should be even.

Back Exercises #6

Flattening of the shoulder blades

Interlace your fingers behind your head and pull your shoulder blades together to create tension in your upper back (the chest should push up as you move). Hold the position for 4-5 seconds, then relax and gently pull your head forward. So at the same time you reduce the voltage in the area. Try to tighten your neck and shoulders, then relax and proceed to the back. This will help you relax your muscles and turn your head without tension. Repeat 3-4 times.

Back Exercises #7

Lumbar extension

To relieve tension in the lower back, tighten the muscles of the buttocks and at the same time the muscles of the abdomen to straighten the lower back. Hold the tension for 5-8 seconds, then relax. Repeat 2-3 times. Concentrate on keeping the muscles in a contracted state. This pelvic girdle swing exercise strengthens the muscles of the buttocks and abdomen and helps maintain proper sitting and standing positions.

Back Exercises #8

Reduction of the shoulder blades and tension of the gluteal muscles.

At the same time, bring your shoulder blades together, straighten your lower back and tighten. Hold the tension for 5 seconds, then relax and pull your head up to stretch your back and upper back. Repeat 3-4 times and appreciate the pleasure.

Now extend one arm behind your head (palm up) and the other hand along your body (palm down). Stretch in both directions at the same time to stretch your shoulders and back. Hold for 6-8 seconds. Perform the exercise on both sides at least twice. The lower back should be straight and relaxed. Keep your lower jaw relaxed too.

Back Exercises #9

Stretching exercises

Stretch your arms behind your head and straighten your legs. Now stretch your arms and legs in both directions as far as you feel comfortable. Hold for 5 seconds, then relax.

Now stretch diagonally. Pulling out right hand, simultaneously pull the toe of the left foot. as far as you are comfortable. Hold the position for 5 seconds, then relax. Stretch your left arm and right leg in the same way. Hold each for at least 5 seconds, then relax.

Now stretch again with both arms and legs at once. Hold
5 seconds, then relax. This good exercise for the muscles of the chest, abdomen, shoulders, arms, and feet.

You can also supplement with abdominal retraction. This will help you feel slimmer and at the same time be a good workout for the internal organs.
Stretching exercises three times reduces muscle tension, promoting relaxation of the whole body. Such stretches help to quickly reduce the overall tension of the body. They are useful to practice before going to bed.

Back Exercises #10

With both hands, grab your right leg under and pull it towards your chest. When doing this exercise, relax your neck and lower your head to the floor or to a small pillow. Hold easy 10>30 seconds. Repeat the same movement with the left leg. The lower back should be straight at all times. If you do not feel tension in the muscles, do not be discouraged. The main thing is that you are happy. This is a very good exercise for the legs, feet and back.

Exercise option for the back number 10

Pull up to your chest, then pull the entire leg in the opposite direction to stretch outer part right thigh. Hold light for 10-20 seconds. Repeat the same movement with the other leg.

Another version of exercise for the back number 10

In the prone position, gently pull the right to outside right . Hands should grab the back of the leg a little higher

Current page: 1 (total book has 6 pages) [accessible reading passage: 2 pages]

Igor Borshchenko
Spine without pain. Isometric gymnastics course

If you don't run while you're healthy,

you have to run when you get sick.

Horace

Do no harm!

Latin saying

Author's introduction

How often do we hear from doctors: "It is necessary to strengthen the spine ... We need to do gymnastics and exercises ... Now strengthen the back!" Patients echo them: “I am ready to practice. Show me what exercises to do. Tomorrow I will sign up for a fitness club!”

Indeed, most people intuitively understand that health is associated with a certain physical activity, and it is desirable to receive it during special classes. It is at this point that many questions arise that can become an insurmountable obstacle to health.

How to practice? Go to the gym or start exercising at home? The last question is by no means idle: yoga, Pilates, callanetics, aerobics, water aerobics, fitness with an instructor, training on simulators, or, finally, just physical therapy in a clinic. Here is a far from complete list of the various recreational activities that life offers. And there is also a favorite job that takes up the lion's share of time, and morning laziness, when you just want to soak up in bed ...

As a result, the choice falls on the section of exotic classes according to the Indian guru system with an unpronounceable name. And it's good when these classes will be useful. And if after a week there is pain and a sharp exacerbation of diseases, most people stop training, and the myth of a healthy lifestyle is dispelled like the smell of a cold dinner.

The other extreme is a complete unwillingness to engage. “I run like crazy at work, that’s enough…” or “I’m busy with physical labor, physical education is superfluous.” Such arguments, of course, can be understood, but we should not forget that the physical and emotional stress from the main job - unless, of course, you are a fitness trainer - is the wrong load.

The daily work of a storekeeper, or a worker, or a cook gives a load only to individual muscle groups, wearing out overloaded joints and cartilage! The spine, your muscles, all joints need, they just require a special correct load, safe movements and a cyclical rhythm of classes.

Among the conscious part of the population, there is another group of eager occupations, who believe that the more the better. How often do I have to listen to the stories of ardent connoisseurs of sports that someone worked out too hard and broke his back. Either after another workout, a herniated disc appeared, or after the operation everything was fine, but I began to work out - and the pain returned. These are stories about those who practiced, but used the wrong load, that is, they were engaged in exercises that did harm, not benefit. And here, by the way, the well-known advertisement is recalled, paraphrasing the slogan of which we can say: not all exercises are equally useful, and some are harmful, and even forbidden for you.

Imagine the crossroads that a patient stands at after spinal surgery, or a person who was diagnosed with a herniated disc, but, fortunately, the operation was not required. On the one hand, there is a need and desire to exercise, on the other hand, there is a fear that physical education can worsen an already precarious state of health.

And what do the eyes of these anxious people see? Both the shelves of bookstores and Internet sites are filled with literature where exercises are performed by healthy young people who do not need physiotherapy exercises at all, and only athletes can do the exercises themselves.

What exercises to choose for classes? In what mode should they be performed? What exercises will give an effect in the pathology of a certain part of the spine?

This book contains answers to your questions and a detailed course of unique isometric gymnastics for people suffering from diseases of the spine.

The situation is extremely reminiscent of cosmetics advertising, when a young model shows off wrinkle cream, which she never had. And if a person who has arthrosis, or severe osteochondrosis of the spine, or even more so a herniated disc, imitates these models and follows programs that are clearly sports-oriented, no matter how sad it is to admit, such classes will not bring success, but will bring a result opposite to the expected , - the rejection of an active lifestyle. Next comes weight gain, a comfortable sofa, an increase in well-being, a more comfortable car, and the vicious circle closes: immobility causes diseases that support physical inactivity.

This book is addressed to those who already have problems with the spine and joints. Those patients who have undergone surgery in the area of ​​the musculoskeletal system, those who feel the need for classes with age, but do not know where to start. The epigraph to this book was the well-known Latin saying: Non nocere! Do no harm! Physical education can be not only a pleasure, but also a medicine, which, as you know, has a certain dose.

After reading this book, you will begin to better understand the most common diseases of the spine and joints, which will allow you to navigate the modern flow of medical information and not drown in advertising.

I sincerely wish the readers health and success!

Igor Borshchenko

Why isometric

To understand the essence of the isometric gymnastics method, I suggest you plunge into the interesting world of the physiology of muscle contraction, that is, find out how the muscles of our body work with you. Carry out the simplest experiment: expose your shoulder so that your biceps are visible, and put your other hand on it. Begin to slowly bend your bare arm at the elbow - you will feel a contraction of the biceps. The weight of the arm remains the same, so the muscle is tensed more or less evenly during movement.

This muscle contraction is called isotonic Greek isos - equal). This mode of operation leads to movement - in fact, for which the muscle is intended. But note that not only the muscle moves, but also the bones and joints. They are the weak link that wears out the fastest. Joint cartilage is one of the most vulnerable tissues in the body. There are no blood vessels in it, so cartilage is fed very slowly due to diffusion - “soaking” nutrients from neighboring bones and, unfortunately, for this reason, it is practically not restored.

Active movements, and even with a load, seriously load the articular cartilage. Everyone knows how joints hurt in people of hard physical labor: exorbitant work overloads the joints, and the cartilage layer becomes thinner, “erased”, causing the bones to literally creak. Osteoarthritis is the name of a joint disease associated with the aging of articular cartilage. Each movement in such a joint can cause pain, so the movement is limited, and you have to say goodbye to gymnastics.

Is there really no way out? Fortunately, this is not the case. Let's try to continue our simple physiological experiments. Try to tighten the biceps of the shoulder so that the forearm and shoulder remain motionless. Do you feel muscle tension? Of course, but at the same time the hand is motionless, there is no movement in the joint. This mode of operation is called isometric. A regimen that both saves your joints and trains muscle fibers, leaving the joy of movement for years to come!

Isometric contraction is the tension of a muscle without its movement.

Every movement, like a shadow, is followed by fatigue and fatigue, and the desire for relaxation and rest invariably leads to the cessation of classes. Here you are after our experiments, relax your shoulder and let your arm hang down freely, like a tree branch - feel the degree of muscle relaxation and remember this feeling. Let's move on to the last experiment.

Start bending the elbow joint of one arm, and try to keep it from moving with the other - this is the isometric bicep tension you already know. Hold this position for twenty seconds. Now quickly come back to the wall, place the palm of your working hand on the wall with your fingers down and slowly squat, keeping your arm straight. Do you feel a stretch in your biceps? Yes, it is a strong and even a little painful, but a pleasant feeling.

Stretch your arm for no more than 10 seconds. Now relax and lower your hand down. I am sure that now you feel the relaxation of the biceps much more than after normal bending. This condition has received a special name - post-isometric relaxation which you have just learned how to do on your own. I think it becomes clear to you that stretching and relaxing muscles after isometric tension is much more effective than regular sipping.

So, isometric gymnastics is based on muscle tension WITHOUT MOVEMENT. It preserves the joints, prevents wear of the articular cartilage and the progression of arthrosis. In many exercises, the isometric contraction phase is followed by the stretch phase. This is an effective technique that relaxes the muscle, relieves muscle spasm and has a pronounced analgesic effect. Remember how pleasant it is to stretch after a long sitting - isometric gymnastics will both train and relax the target muscle - the one that needs to be loaded precisely with your pathology or problem.

Conclusions:

Isometric contraction of a muscle is its tension without movement in the joint.

Isometric gymnastics, strengthening muscles, spares joints and cartilage.

Muscle stretching after isometric tension (post-isometric relaxation) is an effective method of muscle relaxation and pain relief.

Isometric gymnastics for the spine

Proud camp, divine bend

A proud camp, a divine bend - these are the epithets that poets reward beauties and handsome men. With these words, everyone imagines their own ideal, which has smooth curves of the body, and above all of the spine. We evaluate the concept of "beauty" mainly by the subconscious, which connects it with physiological expediency.

That is why a person who has smooth curves of the spine seems beautiful to us, while at the same time an excessive chest curve - a hump - seems ugly. A smoothly defined curve of the lower back, turning into developed buttocks, attracts the opposite sex, and vice versa - flat backs and everything below do not pay attention to themselves.

A person is so arranged that the smooth curves of the spine support the normal functioning of the body. By the end of the first year of life, the baby begins to walk, and gravity forms three natural bends: cervical and lumbar lordosis - forward bends; thoracic curve backwards - kyphosis. It is these bends that absorb and soften the vertical loads transmitted to the spine with each step.

Imagine what concussions would be transmitted to the spinal cord in a straight spine when walking! It is only thanks to the vertebral bends that we do not feel the vibration of each step in our head. The curvature of the spine is also important for the normal functioning of the intervertebral discs. You can read about how the intervertebral disc is arranged and what diseases develop in it in my book “Smart Spine System”. Here we note that a healthy intervertebral disc is very elastic, and it can be compressed from different sides, like a tennis ball. Thus, adjacent vertebrae act on the disc.

If you squeeze the ball evenly, then it springs perfectly - this is exactly what happens if the curves of the spine are preserved. But as soon as the back bend becomes much larger or smaller than normal, the disc begins to shrink unevenly, one of its parts is overloaded and literally bursts - this is how osteochondrosis of the spine or disc herniation begins. I think you yourself can now explain why, after sleeping on a hard bed or on the floor, the back starts to hurt - the natural curves of the spine are aligned, the intervertebral joints and ligaments are overloaded, and as a result, a “broken” back in the morning ...

That is why in isometric gymnastics we pay great attention to maintaining the natural curves of the spine. On the other hand, we avoid excessive, unnatural flexion or extension of the spine. Excessive notorious flexibility - the so-called gutta-percha - is not needed for a healthy spine. And senile changes in the spines of young gymnasts are proof of this.

Move to the edge of the seat periodically. By moving forward, you change position and do small but physical work. Also, when you sit on the edge of the seat, it forces you to maintain proper posture.

How to maintain the natural curves of the spine

To maintain the natural curves of the spine during isometric gymnastics, special starting positions are used. In particular, in a horizontal position lying on the back under the neck or under the lower back, one's own hand is often placed as an emphasis for the spine. Starting positions such as "Corset" or "Control" (see the description of the exercises) are also necessary to maintain the lumbar curve.

In cases where the hands are involved in the exercise, rollers from a small towel are used to maintain the bends, which is easy to have on hand. By the way, you can use the same roll to support your lower back during a long journey in a car or plane, with this simple technique to avoid back pain at your destination.

It is important to say that many exercises in the isometric gymnastics system are aimed at developing and strengthening natural curves and developing spinal stabilizers. Which ones, you will learn in the next chapter.

Conclusions:

Smooth curves of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine are necessary conditions for maintaining a healthy back and neck.

Isometric gymnastics shapes and maintains the natural curves of the spine.

Lumbar stabilizers. What is common between the spine and the Ostankino tower

Even the most beautiful tower without a strong foundation or external support will be at your feet. We all remember how the Ostankino television tower fell a few years ago, and only the restoration of powerful steel stabilizer cables saved it from destruction.

The spine is also a tower that needs support. And if the thoracic spine is reinforced with a rib cage, the neck only supports the head, then the weight of the whole body, including the arms, is transferred to the mobile and therefore vulnerable lumbar spine. The pyramid of the lumbar vertebrae would easily “spread” in different directions if it didn’t have powerful stabilizers – namely, the back muscles that pull the spine back and the abdominal muscles that pull the spine forward. The balance of these forces, like on a pharmacy scale, keeps the spine in a stable, upright position.

Micromovements for deep back muscles

Very important for the movement and maintenance of the spine are the muscles of the back, which are long and short. The long muscles of the back, especially in thin people, are easy to see: these are thick ridges of muscles located on the sides of the spine. Due to the fact that some parts of these muscles begin on one vertebra and spread through several vertebrae, or even through the entire spine, they are called the longest muscles of the back. You can feel these muscles even in yourself.

However, there are muscles that cannot be “reached” even with the deepest massage - these are the deep muscles of the back. They are thin muscle strips that run from one vertebra to the next or spread over the vertebra. Many of them go in an oblique direction, therefore they are involved in the rotation of the spine.

It is the deep muscles of the back that send signals to the brain about the position of the spine in space. The proximity of the muscles to the spinal column explains their frequent spasm and pain with any problems in the spine. These muscles are located deep, under a thick layer of superficial muscles, therefore, as they say, "the elbow is close, but you will not bite."

To influence them, a special approach is required. On the one hand, each such muscle contracts very slightly, so traditional exercises, say, known to everyone from the school of flexion and extension of the spine, will load mainly the superficial muscles of the back. And in the thoracic spine, because of the chest, the movements will be even less.

At the same time, isometric loading requires maintaining a certain posture, for which almost all the muscles of the spine, both superficial and deep, are included in the work. As we have already said, the small deep muscles of the spine easily give in to spasm, causing pain. In isometric gymnastics, there are a number of exercises to relax the deep muscles of the back and spine. Their implementation creates a wave of micro-movements that are transmitted from vertebra to vertebra, relaxing exactly the deep muscles of the spine (see the description of exercises for the deep muscles of the back).

These dangerous crunches

Abdominal - these six-packs are the second lumbar stabilizer. Two rectus, two transverse and four oblique abdominal muscles form a complex of the abdominal press, which can be not only an assistant to the back, but also a burden if your social savings are represented by a thick layer of subcutaneous fat, which can no longer be justified by “cellulite”.

Not everyone understands why the abdominal muscles affect the spine, although they do not directly contact it. The fact is that the contraction of the abdominal muscles leads to an increase in intra-abdominal pressure, which in turn, according to the principle of a chain reaction, equalizes the pressure inside the intervertebral disc. Thanks to this, the core of the disk takes a neutral position and the balance of forces is restored. By the way, you can use this simple technique in everyday life.

If your lower back suddenly hurts, take a flat position and tighten your stomach, slightly straining your abdominals. You will immediately feel a reduction in back pain, or even its disappearance.

Tighten your abs!

Actually, one of the mechanisms of action of the lumbar corset is based on this. The abdominal muscles are the main stabilizers of the lower back. At the moment of their tension, intra-abdominal pressure increases, leading to an improvement in the condition of the intervertebral discs. This causes a reduction in pain. Don't let your belly hang passively all the time. Tighten your abdominal muscles and sharp back pain will decrease or disappear!

The greatest contraction of the abdominal muscles is made when you bend as much as possible in the lower back. However, this causes severe stress on the discs, ligaments and joints of the spine.

At the moment of maximum flexion in the lower back, you literally tear the discs, injure the ligaments and joints. Therefore, traditional flexion of the spine, or crunches, as they are called in the English manner, to strengthen the abdominal press is strictly prohibited, especially for a sick spine.

Only exercises in a neutral position, without significant flexion in the lower back, should be used to strengthen the abdominal muscles. In the isometric gymnastics system, you will find many exercises that work directly on the abdominal muscles. In addition, in many exercises that are not related to the lumbar region, the abdominals are also involved as an assistant to the main movement, and you will feel it.

Conclusions:

The stabilizers of the lumbar spine are the back and abdominal muscles.

Isometric gymnastics strengthens the abdominal and back muscles in a physiologically safe position in relation to the spine.

Relaxation of the deep muscles of the spine according to the isometric gymnastics system relieves pain.

Strengthening the abdominals reduces chronic low back pain.

Diagnostic gymnastics

We suggest that you pass an original test in the form of simple exercises before starting isometric gymnastics. This gymnastics will help draw your attention to the presence of certain problems in different parts of the spine and joints. This will help you to correctly draw up an individual course of isometric training.

Standing in front of a mirror, check the volume and freedom of movement in the cervical spine. Tilt your head forward so that your chin touches your chest. If this is difficult, then there is a restriction of flexion of the cervical spine.

Turn your head first in one direction and then in the other direction so that the nose is on the same level with the shoulder. Difficulty in this movement reveals rotational limitations in the cervical spine.

Look at yourself in the mirror and use your index finger to mark the level of your nose. Hold your finger at this level. Then tilt your head back, looking up. If your chin rises to the level of the finger and above it, you are all right with the extension of the cervical spine.

Restrictions in flexion, extension or rotation in the cervical spine may be associated with osteochondrosis of the spine, the appearance of a herniated disc, arthrosis of the joints of the spine, or rheumatic inflammation in the spine. In each of these cases, specialist advice is required.

If you don't run while you're healthy,

you have to run when you get sick.

Do no harm!

Latin saying

Author's introduction

How often do we hear from doctors: "It is necessary to strengthen the spine ... We need to do gymnastics and exercises ... Now strengthen the back!" Patients echo them: “I am ready to practice. Show me what exercises to do. Tomorrow I will sign up for a fitness club!”

Indeed, most people intuitively understand that health is associated with a certain physical activity, and it is desirable to receive it during special classes. It is at this point that many questions arise that can become an insurmountable obstacle to health.

How to practice? Go to the gym or start exercising at home? The last question is by no means idle: yoga, Pilates, callanetics, aerobics, water aerobics, fitness with an instructor, training on simulators, or, finally, just physical therapy in a clinic. Here is a far from complete list of the various recreational activities that life offers. And there is also a favorite job that takes up the lion's share of time, and morning laziness, when you just want to soak up in bed ...

As a result, the choice falls on the section of exotic classes according to the Indian guru system with an unpronounceable name. And it's good when these classes will be useful. And if after a week there is pain and a sharp exacerbation of diseases, most people stop training, and the myth of a healthy lifestyle is dispelled like the smell of a cold dinner.

The other extreme is a complete unwillingness to engage. “I run like crazy at work, that’s enough…” or “I’m busy with physical labor, physical education is superfluous.” Such arguments, of course, can be understood, but we should not forget that the physical and emotional stress from the main job - unless, of course, you are a fitness trainer - is the wrong load.

The daily work of a storekeeper, or a worker, or a cook gives a load only to individual muscle groups, wearing out overloaded joints and cartilage! The spine, your muscles, all joints need, they just require a special correct load, safe movements and a cyclical rhythm of classes.

Among the conscious part of the population, there is another group of eager occupations, who believe that the more the better. How often do I have to listen to the stories of ardent connoisseurs of sports that someone worked out too hard and broke his back. Either after another workout, a herniated disc appeared, or after the operation everything was fine, but I began to work out - and the pain returned. These are stories about those who practiced, but used the wrong load, that is, they were engaged in exercises that did harm, not benefit. And here, by the way, the well-known advertisement is recalled, paraphrasing the slogan of which we can say: not all exercises are equally useful, and some are harmful, and even forbidden for you.

Imagine the crossroads that a patient stands at after spinal surgery, or a person who was diagnosed with a herniated disc, but, fortunately, the operation was not required. On the one hand, there is a need and desire to exercise, on the other hand, there is a fear that physical education can worsen an already precarious state of health.

And what do the eyes of these anxious people see? Both the shelves of bookstores and Internet sites are filled with literature where exercises are performed by healthy young people who do not need physiotherapy exercises at all, and only athletes can do the exercises themselves.

What exercises to choose for classes? In what mode should they be performed? What exercises will give an effect in the pathology of a certain part of the spine?

This book contains answers to your questions and a detailed course of unique isometric gymnastics for people suffering from diseases of the spine.

The situation is extremely reminiscent of cosmetics advertising, when a young model shows off wrinkle cream, which she never had. And if a person who has arthrosis, or severe osteochondrosis of the spine, or even more so a herniated disc, imitates these models and follows programs that are clearly sports-oriented, no matter how sad it is to admit, such classes will not bring success, but will bring a result opposite to the expected , - the rejection of an active lifestyle. Next comes weight gain, a comfortable sofa, an increase in well-being, a more comfortable car, and the vicious circle closes: immobility causes diseases that support physical inactivity.

This book is addressed to those who already have problems with the spine and joints. Those patients who have undergone surgery in the area of ​​the musculoskeletal system, those who feel the need for classes with age, but do not know where to start. The epigraph to this book was the well-known Latin saying: Non nocere! Do no harm! Physical education can be not only a pleasure, but also a medicine, which, as you know, has a certain dose.

After reading this book, you will begin to better understand the most common diseases of the spine and joints, which will allow you to navigate the modern flow of medical information and not drown in advertising.

I sincerely wish the readers health and success!

Igor Borshchenko

Why isometric

To understand the essence of the isometric gymnastics method, I suggest you plunge into the interesting world of the physiology of muscle contraction, that is, find out how the muscles of our body work with you. Carry out the simplest experiment: expose your shoulder so that your biceps are visible, and put your other hand on it. Begin to slowly bend your bare arm at the elbow - you will feel a contraction of the biceps. The weight of the arm remains the same, so the muscle is tensed more or less evenly during movement.

This muscle contraction is called isotonic Greek isos - equal). This mode of operation leads to movement - in fact, for which the muscle is intended. But note that not only the muscle moves, but also the bones and joints. They are the weak link that wears out the fastest. Joint cartilage is one of the most vulnerable tissues in the body. There are no blood vessels in it, so cartilage is fed very slowly due to diffusion - “soaking” nutrients from neighboring bones and, unfortunately, for this reason, it is practically not restored.

Active movements, and even with a load, seriously load the articular cartilage. Everyone knows how joints hurt in people of hard physical labor: exorbitant work overloads the joints, and the cartilage layer becomes thinner, “erased”, causing the bones to literally creak. Osteoarthritis is the name of a joint disease associated with the aging of articular cartilage. Each movement in such a joint can cause pain, so the movement is limited, and you have to say goodbye to gymnastics.

Is there really no way out? Fortunately, this is not the case. Let's try to continue our simple physiological experiments. Try to tighten the biceps of the shoulder so that the forearm and shoulder remain motionless. Do you feel muscle tension? Of course, but at the same time the hand is motionless, there is no movement in the joint. This mode of operation is called isometric. A regimen that both saves your joints and trains muscle fibers, leaving the joy of movement for years to come!

Isometric contraction is the tension of a muscle without its movement.

Every movement, like a shadow, is followed by fatigue and fatigue, and the desire for relaxation and rest invariably leads to the cessation of classes. Here you are after our experiments, relax your shoulder and let your arm hang down freely, like a tree branch - feel the degree of muscle relaxation and remember this feeling. Let's move on to the last experiment.

Start bending the elbow joint of one arm, and try to keep it from moving with the other - this is the isometric bicep tension you already know. Hold this position for twenty seconds. Now quickly come back to the wall, place the palm of your working hand on the wall with your fingers down and slowly squat, keeping your arm straight. Do you feel a stretch in your biceps? Yes, it is a strong and even a little painful, but a pleasant feeling.

Stretch your arm for no more than 10 seconds. Now relax and lower your hand down. I am sure that now you feel the relaxation of the biceps much more than after normal bending. This condition has received a special name - post-isometric relaxation which you have just learned how to do on your own. I think it becomes clear to you that stretching and relaxing muscles after isometric tension is much more effective than regular sipping.

So, isometric gymnastics is based on muscle tension WITHOUT MOVEMENT. It preserves the joints, prevents wear of the articular cartilage and the progression of arthrosis. In many exercises, the isometric contraction phase is followed by the stretch phase. This is an effective technique that relaxes the muscle, relieves muscle spasm and has a pronounced analgesic effect. Remember how pleasant it is to stretch after a long sitting - isometric gymnastics will both train and relax the target muscle - the one that needs to be loaded precisely with your pathology or problem.

Conclusions:

Isometric contraction of a muscle is its tension without movement in the joint.

Isometric gymnastics, strengthening muscles, spares joints and cartilage.

Muscle stretching after isometric tension (post-isometric relaxation) is an effective method of muscle relaxation and pain relief.

Isometric gymnastics for the spine

Proud camp, divine bend

A proud camp, a divine bend - these are the epithets that poets reward beauties and handsome men. With these words, everyone imagines their own ideal, which has smooth curves of the body, and above all of the spine. We evaluate the concept of "beauty" mainly by the subconscious, which connects it with physiological expediency.

That is why a person who has smooth curves of the spine seems beautiful to us, while at the same time an excessive chest curve - a hump - seems ugly. A smoothly defined curve of the lower back, turning into developed buttocks, attracts the opposite sex, and vice versa - flat backs and everything below do not pay attention to themselves.

A person is so arranged that the smooth curves of the spine support the normal functioning of the body. By the end of the first year of life, the baby begins to walk, and gravity forms three natural bends: cervical and lumbar lordosis - forward bends; thoracic curve backwards - kyphosis. It is these bends that absorb and soften the vertical loads transmitted to the spine with each step.

Imagine what concussions would be transmitted to the spinal cord in a straight spine when walking! It is only thanks to the vertebral bends that we do not feel the vibration of each step in our head. The curvature of the spine is also important for the normal functioning of the intervertebral discs. You can read about how the intervertebral disc is arranged and what diseases develop in it in my book “Smart Spine System”. Here we note that a healthy intervertebral disc is very elastic, and it can be compressed from different sides, like a tennis ball. Thus, adjacent vertebrae act on the disc.

If you squeeze the ball evenly, then it springs perfectly - this is exactly what happens if the curves of the spine are preserved. But as soon as the back bend becomes much larger or smaller than normal, the disc begins to shrink unevenly, one of its parts is overloaded and literally bursts - this is how osteochondrosis of the spine or disc herniation begins. I think you yourself can now explain why, after sleeping on a hard bed or on the floor, the back starts to hurt - the natural curves of the spine are aligned, the intervertebral joints and ligaments are overloaded, and as a result, a “broken” back in the morning ...

That is why in isometric gymnastics we pay great attention to maintaining the natural curves of the spine. On the other hand, we avoid excessive, unnatural flexion or extension of the spine. Excessive notorious flexibility - the so-called gutta-percha - is not needed for a healthy spine. And senile changes in the spines of young gymnasts are proof of this.

Move to the edge of the seat periodically. By moving forward, you change position and do small but physical work. Also, when you sit on the edge of the seat, it forces you to maintain proper posture.

How to maintain the natural curves of the spine

To maintain the natural curves of the spine during isometric gymnastics, special starting positions are used. In particular, in a horizontal position lying on the back under the neck or under the lower back, one's own hand is often placed as an emphasis for the spine. Starting positions such as "Corset" or "Control" (see the description of the exercises) are also necessary to maintain the lumbar curve.

In cases where the hands are involved in the exercise, rollers from a small towel are used to maintain the bends, which is easy to have on hand. By the way, you can use the same roll to support your lower back during a long journey in a car or plane, with this simple technique to avoid back pain at your destination.

It is important to say that many exercises in the isometric gymnastics system are aimed at developing and strengthening natural curves and developing spinal stabilizers. Which ones, you will learn in the next chapter.

Conclusions:

Smooth curves of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine are necessary conditions for maintaining a healthy back and neck.

Isometric gymnastics shapes and maintains the natural curves of the spine.

Lumbar stabilizers. What is common between the spine and the Ostankino tower

Even the most beautiful tower without a strong foundation or external support will be at your feet. We all remember how the Ostankino television tower fell a few years ago, and only the restoration of powerful steel stabilizer cables saved it from destruction.

The spine is also a tower that needs support. And if the thoracic spine is reinforced with a rib cage, the neck only supports the head, then the weight of the whole body, including the arms, is transferred to the mobile and therefore vulnerable lumbar spine. The pyramid of the lumbar vertebrae would easily “spread” in different directions if it didn’t have powerful stabilizers – namely, the back muscles that pull the spine back and the abdominal muscles that pull the spine forward. The balance of these forces, like on a pharmacy scale, keeps the spine in a stable, upright position.