The back school describes behaviors in everyday life and exercises to prevent back problems or alleviate existing complaints. People who stand a lot and for a long time in everyday life or who perform one-sided monotonous movements should pay attention to a posture that is easy on the back. Exercises of the back school as well as the posture school are performed by doctors with additional qualifications, gymnastics teachers, physiotherapists and other specialists and are subsidized by health insurance companies.
1st “Cat’s hump and zebra back” This exercise stretches the long back extensors and is very easy to do. Put yourself in the four-footed position. Now alternate between a “cat’s hump” and a “hollow back” like a horse or zebra.
Do the exercise slowly and hold the final position for 10 seconds. 2nd “rotary stretching position” In this exercise from the back school the lateral back muscles are stretched. You can also use this exercise in respiratory therapy, because the intercostal muscles (muscles between the ribs) are also stretched.
Put yourself in a supine position, legs bent, arms stretched out to the side. Now let your knees slowly tilt alternately to the left and right. 3rd “lateral rotation” This exercise also mobilizes the lateral back muscles.
It is, however, somewhat more strenuous than the rotational stretching exercise. Sit upright on a chair or stool. You sit far forward so that you can clearly feel the contact of your ischial tuberosities on the chair.
Take a stick with both hands over your head. Now rotate your upper body alternately to the left and right. 4. wall stretcher A very good measure to stretch the entire back muscles and to relieve the intervertebral discs is the “wall stretcher”.
Stand in front of a wall with a view and about 1 foot distance. Now try to touch the wall with your flat hands as far up as possible. Hold this position for about 10 seconds.
Take a short break (10 seconds). At the next attempt, try to get up a little further. A classic of the back school for strengthening the entire torso muscles is the so-called “Brunkow Stemmführung”.
In the supine position, the legs are raised and the pelvis is lifted off the floor. The heels press on the floor or the carpet pad, toes have no contact. The arms lie on the side of the body with the palms of the hands facing the floor.
You can increase the exercise by lifting the arms slightly and pushing them towards the feet with your hands and keeping the tension. If you want to use even more force, just put one leg in this exercise and stretch the other leg. Vibration training can also help you strengthen your back muscles.
2nd “Canoeing” This exercise from the back school is suitable for stretching as well as strengthening the back and shoulder muscles. In an upright position you hold a pole at chest height in front of your upper body. Now they row with the pole as if they were canoeing.
The back must remain absolutely straight. Make the rowing movements first small and then bigger and bigger. To train your coordination, row forwards and backwards alternately for about 30 seconds.
3rd “dry swimming” A training of the upper and lower back muscles can be achieved very comprehensively with this exercise. Put yourself in prone position (best with a gymnastic mat underneath). Now paddle with your right leg and left arm and vice versa.
Your gaze should not be directed forward but towards the ground. You can also do the classic breaststroke from this position. For this exercise, small movements are sufficient, otherwise you might overstrain or adopt an unfavorable hollow back position.
4. pass the ball” While standing they take a ball and lead it around their upper body. First approx. 10 times clockwise, then 10 times in the opposite direction.
You can also do this exercise very well in a circle or in a row as a group exercise. The use of a medicine ball is a good way of increasing the exercise, since the additional weight represents a progression. 5th “Push-up on the wall” This is a variation of the usual push-up to prevent overloading and to adjust the exercise to the personal constitution.
Stand in front of a wall about 2 feet away. The hands are supported on the wall at chin height, about shoulder width. Now start with the push-ups by alternately bending and stretching your elbows. Increase the load by increasing the distance between your feet and the wall. Do not do this exercise with socks (danger of slipping).Further strengthening exercises can be found on the pages:
- Back pain – not with a strong back
- Postural deficiency
- Spinal column gymnastics
