Cat and Camel
Exercises for back pain for seniors and the elderly include the cat and the camel exercise below. Try these exercises 3 – 5 times per week for increased strength and endurance during the day.
Even though we use our muscles regularly during the day for bending, rotating and extending, they will show a decrease in flexibility due to biological aging. For this reason it is important to maintain our mobility in our back with daily exercise and stretches.
Purpose of this exercise
To stretch and extend the lower back and mid back muscles. It is also a great exercise for loosening up the pelvic area and learning the pelvic tilt.
Step 1
Begin by getting on your hands and knees on your bed or the floor only if you can safely get back up. Keep your back in a neutral position.
Step 2
Round your back up and bring your head down to make the cat arching his back. Then reverse by allowing your back to relax forming the valley between the camels two humps. Return to starting position and repeat 10 times.
Breathing
Inhale during the upward movement phase. Exhale during the downward movement phase.
Tips
Keep breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth. Tighten your tummy muscles and place your pelvis in a neutral position to start. If your wrists are painful, lower yourself onto your elbows. Use gardening pads if kneeling on the floor.
Take it up a notch
Keeping elbows straight, lift your back even higher by moving from the shoulders only. Then bring your shoulder blades together when lowering your back.
How to perform Cat and Camel
More Back and Trunk Exercises
1. Eccentric Straight Leg Raise
- This exercise works your abdominal and hip flexor muscles which will improve your ability to get out of bed, get out of a chair and maintain your posture and help back muscle pain.
- This back pain help exercise works your abdominal and hip flexor muscles which will improve your ability to get out of bed, rise up from a chair and maintain your standing posture.
3. Curl Ups
- Abdominal back pain symptoms exercises help with posture and balance by strengthening your core muscles. Simple things like getting out of bed or up from a chair can become easier when your
- abdominal muscles are strong.
- To stretch and extend the lower back and mid back muscles. Exercises for back pain and loosening up the pelvic area and learning the pelvic tilt.
- To stretch and extend the lower back and mid back muscles. It can also help with mid back pain associated with postural strain. This will make it easier to maintain good posture with sitting and
- standing.
- To stretch and extend the lower back and hip pain muscles. It can also help with strengthening the pelvis and leg muscles reducing symptoms.
7. Bridging
- These lower back pain exercises help strengthen the hip extensors, buttock muscles and hamstrings. It also helps strengthen the low back and sacroiliac. This can improve your ability to stand and maintain your balance.
8. Pelvic Tilt
- To stretch the lower back and hip muscles. This is a great treatment for back pain exercise for tired or sore backs after a long day of walking!
9. Sit Backs
- This back strengthening exercise will firm your abdominal muscles.
- It will help your ability to get out of bed or up from a chair.
- This back muscle exercise improves the range of motion in your upper back and shoulders.
- When correctly stabilizing the lower back, this exercise will help strengthen your postural muscles including the abdominal muscles.
- This back pain and exercise movement will improve your upper back and shoulder stability.
- It is also helpful in reaching to a high shelf, opening the refrigerator door or even combing your hair.
12. Hip Flexion
- This lower back exercise will improve your lower back range of motion and flexibility.
- It will help with activities such as doing the laundry, sweeping up with a dust pan or reaching to a low cupboard.
Resources Stay Independent
https://www.cdc.gov/steadi/pdf/STEADI-Brochure-StayIndependent-508.pdf