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| The Road to 100 Fit Tip #4, 2008 —
I'll be Back
Here are some amazing statistics. Nearly 80% of all Americans will experience some back pain in their life (I am part of that statistic). And it is generally agreed that 90% of all back pain is PREVENTABLE! However, 97% of all costs associated with back pain are spent on diagnostic and treatment and only 3% is spent on prevention!
Most of us spend way too much of our day in a forward flexed position. We sit too long in our cars. We sit too long at a computer. We sit too long watching spectator sports. We sit too long watching television. We need to offset all that forward flexion with some back hyperextension exercises.
Try this exercise shown to me by Kevin Murray of Gold Medal Physical Therapy. Perform the exercise on your bed or a massage table if you have one. You can even do it on the floor.
- Lie flat on your stomach with your arms slightly stretched out over your head and your legs straight back.
- Slowly raise head and chest by pushing up on your arms while keeping your pelvis and legs on the bed, table or floor. This will cause your back to hyper-extend.
- Raise up slowly, as if your spine were a string of pearls and you were lifting the string one pearl at a time.
- Hold in the raised position for several seconds, then slowly lower down, again, one pearl at a time.
- Repeat 10 times.
Perform one to three sets of this exercise once a day, ideally either first thing in the morning or last thing at night. Just like with any exercise, get a doctor’s clearance if you have previously existing back issues.
If you would like to view a video demonstration of this fit tip, please
CLICK HERE.
Answer to last week's fitness quiz:
How many hospitalize patients die each year of prescription medication?
106,000 according to an article in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA): Incidence of adverse drug reactions in hospitalized patients by Lazarou, Pomeranz and Corey. 1998, 279-1200. This makes prescription drugs the fourth leading cause of death in the United States behind heart disease, cancer and stroke
Answer to last week's Question of the Week:
What do woman want?(These are REAL people and REAL answers!)
L: Happiness
V: Security
D: Undying love and devotion, honesty and integrity.
This week's fitness quiz:
What is MHRS?
NEW FEATURE! Question of the Week(Selected answers will be published. All answers will be posted on the Uncle Vic Message Board. Please answer in two sentences or less. Please include your first name or if you wish to remain anonymous, your intitals)
Again, what do women want?
Corny Joke of the Week:
There are 2 cowboys in the kitchen. Which one is the real cowboy?
The one on the range.
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