Couch Back - Get Off the Couch and Onto the Floor

The below three exercises are to help relieve you of your current “couch back” that we are all too familiar with while we do our part and stay home.

The basis around these exercises are:

• spine health and mobility

• providing stability through the spine away from the sustained flexed position on the couch

• strength to the surrounding muscles like the core and glutes

Exercise 1: Pelvic Bridges with Spinal Articulation

Inhale through the ribcage in your neutral pelvic position, exhale to engage your core and pelvic floor and roll your pelvis into posterior tilt (flat spine). Continue to lift one vertebrae off at a time and create almost a hammock or banana like shape with your spine. Ensure to keep your ribs low and don’t let them flare. Inhale at the top and exhale to roll each vertebrae down to the floor to then find your neutral spine and pelvis again.

Repeat between 10-15 reps, 2 sets

Exercise 2: Prone Extension

Before beginning, ensure your pubic bone is lightly pressed into the floor and belly button raised to the spine to protect your lower back. Inhale to prep the body then as you exhale, think about pulling one vertebrae at a time from the base of your skull down through your neck and to your mid back into extension. You want to keep it nice and slow and allow your back extensor muscles to lift you into this position. Try keep your neck in a neutral position with no over exaggerated extensions through the back of the neck. Inhale at the top of extension then exhale and slowly let one vertebrae at a time return to neutral. You can place as much or a little pressure into the palms for support.

Repeat between 6-8 reps, 2 sets

Exercise 3: Dead Bugs

This is a more intermediate exercise so for a more basic version of dead bug, keep the arms by your side. One at a time lifting the arms and legs up for the starting position. Inhale through the ribcage to prep, exhale and lift your pelvic floor and engage deep abdominals and slowly extend one opposite arm and leg, inhale to return. As you’re exhaling and extending the limbs, ensure your rectus abdominis or “six pack” muscles don’t “pop up” away from your spine. You’re trying to keep a tight band around your lower abdominal cavity for support of the lower back. Should this be happening, reduce the lever length and don’t extend as far away from the body. Alternate each side as timed with the breath.

Repeat between 12-20 reps, 2 sets

- Rebecca Boehm