Spine Alignment Exercises

Your spine is the centerpiece of all movement in your body, and keeping it healthy is essential for injury prevention and proper functional movement. Keeping the spine in good alignment involves stretching and strengthening surrounding muscles, so they will not pull the spine into poor positioning. It also involves keeping the vertebrae and discs of the spine healthy so they can move as intended without pain or limits to your movement.

Strength

To strengthen your spine, the spine extension exercise is a must. Begin by lying on your stomach with your legs hip width apart and your arms at your side, your forehead resting on the floor. As you inhale, engage your glutes just enough to lightly press your front hip bones into the floor, then exhale and engage your abdominals as you lift your upper body away from the floor. As you lift, pull your shoulder blades down your back and slide your fingertips toward your feet. Hold this lift while you inhale again, then release back down as you exhale. Keep your legs down on the ground initially, and when you feel you are ready to advance the exercise, you can add lifting the legs as you lift your torso. Throughout the lifting phase, keep the top of your head lengthening away from your tailbone with the back of your neck staying long. Repeat this exercise 8 to 12 times per set, performing 2 to 3 sets with a brief rest in between.

Stretch

The spine roll stretches your spine and also helps the vertebrae mobilize independently, which is important for effective movement patterns. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor hip distance apart. You can rest your arms by your sides, and tuck your chin slightly. Inhale to prepare, and as you exhale, draw your abdominals in, and lightly press your low back into the floor. Once the low back is down, start peeling your tailbone and then each vertebra off the floor one at a time. Roll all the way up through your spine until you are resting between your shoulder blades and your spine, and your hips are in the air. Inhale again, and with your next exhale, pull your ribcage down to begin placing one vertebra at a time back onto the floor, starting in the upper back and rolling all the way down to the tailbone. Try to keep your breaths as long as possible and take your time to roll the spine up and down in a controlled manner. Repeat this spine roll 5 to 10 times, performing daily if possible.

Nourish

The discs between each vertebrae of the spine need to be nourished and kept healthy. They act as cushions between the bony segments, and essentially when they become unhealthy or misplaced, the bones can begin to put excessive pressure on parts of the discs, or even on each other, and cause extreme pain and discomfort. Spine twists, which come from both yoga and pilates, nourish the discs in a motion similar to wringing out a washcloth; the twisting movement wrings out old fluids and replenishes with new fluid for a healthier disc. To perform a spine twist, sit upright in a chair getting your spine as tall as possible. As you exhale, engage your abdominals inward and rotate the left side of your body toward your right hip. You can place your left hand on the outside of your right thigh and gently help pull yourself into the twist if you would like. Hold the twist for several breaths, then release and repeat to the other side. Move slowly into the twist and picture your spine as a spiral staircase, evenly rotating and lifting upward as you move. Although this move can also be performed on the floor, it is typically more difficult to get the spine in a good upright position on the floor, so a chair will help you be more successful in your twist.