Spinal Hygiene Exercises

These exercises are recommended for everybody, to be done every day, numerous times per day.  They only take about 60 seconds to do once you get the hang of it, so they are super easy and practical to apply to your daily routine.

You can use them as a warm up, warm down, and/or to break up repetitive straining postures like sitting, standing or bending for long periods of time.

OFFICE WORKERS:

Ideally should do these every hour!  Set a timer!  Or at least 3 times per day.

PEOPLE IN SEVERE PAIN:

Do these exercises at least once every hour, but sometimes more often is required.  Pain usually means you need to stretch and move, as long as the exercise isn’t making the pain worse

1) Spinal Hygiene – LOW BACK Component (20X BACKWARDS + 20X SIDEWAYS, EVERY HOUR)

2) Spinal Hygiene – MID BACK COMPONENT (YWTL) – Also known as the YMCA ;)

Spinal Hygiene – “Y” Component (5-20 SECONDS X2 EVERY HOUR)

Spinal Hygiene – “W” Component (5-20 SECONDS X2 EVERY HOUR)

Spinal Hygiene – “T” Component (5-20 SECONDS X2 EVERY HOUR)

Spinal Hygiene – “L” Component (5-20 SECONDS X2 EVERY HOUR)

Spinal Hygiene – “YWTL” Component ALSO KNOWN AS YMCA (TO HELP YOU REMEMBER) – 1X OR 2X EVERY HOUR

3) Spinal Hygiene – Neck exercises (1X PER HOUR UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES), IF IN SIGNIFICANT PAIN, 5-10 REPETITIONS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS)