5 moves for a strong spine

As our founder Jennie Brooks says, "you are only as healthy as your heart, your spine and your mind." The spine is the focal point of the body, and it's crucial for our whole health - both mental and physical - to care for it as such. Stabilizing and strengthening the muscles that support your core help fortify your spine and reinforce the rest of your body. Maria demonstrates 5 exercises that you can incorporate in your regular routine to promote spinal mobility and abdominal strengthening. 

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BODYWEIGHT SQUATS

• Maintaining a proud chest and even weight in your heels, squat down to meet the chair.
• Think about corkscrewing your ankles and knees outward as you squeeze your glutes to stand back up.
• Head and spine stay neutral and aligned throughout the whole exercise.
• With each rep, gradually make less contact with the chair as you lower into your squat position. Hold or pulse at the bottom for an added challenge. 

FLAT BACK BRIDGING

• Place a ball between your thighs to activate your pelvic floor and further engage the back of your body. 
• With shoulders and arms pressing evenly into the mat, hinge at the hips to lift yourself into your flat back bridge. Back stays neutral on the way up, as well as on the way down. 
• As you squeeze your glutes to lift your lower body off the mat, think about sending your knees up and away from you. 
• Wiggle your toes to keep weight into your heels. This will help you engage through the back of your thighs. 

FOREARM PLANK HOLD

• Forearm planking on a box is a great alternative, alleviating pressure on the wrists. 
• Ideally, shoulders are over elbows, forearms form an eleven and hips are leveled/squared to the ground. 
• Create space between your shoulders and ears and direct your gaze a few inches in front of you, drawing one straight line from the top of your head to the back of your heels. 

ROCKETS

• ​Lie down facing your mat and place a deflated ball underneath your chest, centered with your sternum.
• To begin, extend your arms straight behind you and let your head hover off the mat in a neutral position. 
• Press your chest away from the ball and your hips into the mat to lift your heart. Send your shoulders back and down, while aiming your thumbs toward the sides of your thighs. Squeeze through your triceps. 
• Start with a small range of motion and slowly work up to your back extension, eventually removing the ball. 

BACK EXTENSION

• Palms are facing down and elbows are slightly hugging your side. Keeping your hips firmly and evenly on the mat, lift your chest off the mat and allow your palms to hover over. Wrists stay neutral. 
• Work toward extending your back one inch more with each rep. 
• As you lift, think about rolling your shoulders behind you and gliding your scapula down your back.

SWAN

• Maintaining the same starting position as your back extension, press all ten fingers into the mat to raise your chest. Ideally, arms fully extend at the peak of extension. 
• Bend your arms to slowly bring yourself back down, allowing your head and spine to move together in one line. 

BONUS: OPPOSITE ARM AND LEG REACH

• ​Start on all fours - shoulders over elbows, elbows over wrists and hips over knees. Back is flat, head is in line with the spine. 
• Slowly and mindfully, lift your left arm and right leg simultaneously. Keep pressure into the supporting arm and allow your weight to distribute evenly so that your hips stay facing the mat. Carefully return to all fours, then repeat with the right arm and left leg. 
• Breath can really enhance this exercise and enable you to tap into your core. Inhale as you send your arm and leg in opposite directions, exhale deeply to bring them both back in. 

Form and control are mutually exclusive in each of the exercises; one cannot exist without the other. Take it slow, use your breath, check in with your body often, and above all - move mindfully. Consistently working on strengthening your back and abdominals can help pave the way for a life with minimal back pain and tension. 

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