Squat, Stretch and Bend

These gentle, easy-to-perform exercises are among the most common recommended by doctors and physical therapists as insurance against the miseries of backache. They include a series of squats on tiptoe while holding a chair for balance; sit-ups that include touching the toes; pushing forward as far as possible on a bent knee; curling forward while seated in a chair; and tucking knees to chest while lying flat on the back. Their purpose: to firm up the various muscles, such as those of the abdomen, chest and hips, that support the spine; only a few minutes of daily exercising should suffice. The movements may be uncomfortable at first, and each exercise should be repeated only two or three times when starting out such a program. If there is any pain, the exercising should be halted. But as the muscles stretch and strengthen, the routine should become more natural, if not actually fun.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.