The exercises videos on this page are taken from our Back to Action App
Warm Up
A warm up does exactly what it says it does and warms your body up by increasing the blood flow to the working muscles. This prepares your body for exercise and means the muscles are ready to exercise and are less prone to injury.
To warm up at home you could:
- March on the spot
- Use a bottom stair for step ups
- Go for a 5-10 minute walk
During your warm up you should be able to hold a conversation without getting out of breath. Remember, even during your warm up you should be aware of your posture. If you are doing step ups try not to let your chin poke forward.
Mobility exercises
The mobility section consists of exercises that slowly move the different parts of the spine to the limit of their movement. This is the most important section for keeping the spine mobile. We recommend that you do these exercises every day.
| Looking down | Looking up | Chin tuck |
| Look over shoulder | Trunk rotation | Trunk side bend |
| Arm opening | Knee rolling | Alternate knee to chest |
| Double arm raises above head |
If you have a media player you can also click on the links below to download these videos to your PC.
Flexibility exercises
These exercises stretch the large muscle groups such as the hamstrings and quadriceps that are anchored around the spine. It is important that these muscles do not shorten or the spine be pulled into wrong positions. We recommend that you do these exercises every day.
| Piriformis (glutes stretch) | Glutes stretch | Hamstring stretch |
| Front hip stretch | Single Arm Pec Stretch | Back extension |
If you have a media player you can also click on the links below to download these videos to your PC.
Breathing exercises
These exercises are designed to maximise the volume of the chest and lungs. We recommend that you do these every day.
| Breathing |
If you have a media player you can also click on the link below to download this video to your PC.
Last reviewed: November 2011