Avoiding a Pain in the Neck… or the Butt… or the Back

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how to avoid neck and back pain. What were missing were some images to demonstrate the exercises. Thankfully, my physically fit and super enthusiastic co-worker volunteered to model a few of them for you. A quick refresher on the article…

Neck and back pain exists in many forms: disc herniations, slipped discs, etc (the list can go on and on). What contributed to these problems can vary extensively. The causes could be car accidents, work injuries, hereditary factors, etc (this list could go on and on as well). However, there is a universally known factor that can not only minimize the risk of injury, but also help to eliminate the pain altogether. This factor is, of course, regular exercise.

Below are some easy exercises that you can do at home or at the gym that can greatly reduce pain and the onset thereof. Remember that some exercises can’t be performed by everyone so check with a doctor or a physical therapist beforehand. Also, stop immediately if you feel pain during the exercise. Soreness and muscle fatigue are expected, but pain in the spine while you are moving could indicate poor form or a more severe problem.

This is a classic low back exercise. It’s called the Bridge.



Lie on your back with legs bent between 45-90 degrees, and feet shoulder width apart. Arms are at your sides with palms facing the floor. The movement involves lifting your lower back off the floor towards the ceiling. Lift until you form a nice straight line from your knee joint through your hips and up to the shoulder joint. A straight line indicates that you have gone the full range of motion. If you can’t go that far at first don’t worry. Make it your goal to reach that level of strength and movement.



Next we have an alternating leg and arm movement. This works most of the major upper and low back muscles, as well as the glutes.



Lie on your stomach, facing the floor with your neck in a relaxed, neutral position. The beauty of this exercise is that you can vary it. You can raise both the right arm and left leg off of the floor simultaneously, both the right arm and right leg, or just the arms, then the legs.



This last exercise has been called many things but here, I’ll call it the Full Body Extension. Not very exciting name but the exercise is terrific. It works most of the major muscle groups in the back of the body.



Lie on your stomach with arms and legs straight out. Slowly extend both arms and both legs until they lift off of the floor and hold that position for 3 seconds.



These exercises can be performed as often as you like. And since they require no equipment, you do them basically anywhere. You can even go the semi-lazy route and do them while you’re in bed. For a basic structure, try doing 3 sets of 10 repetitions (for the arm/leg alternating exercise that could mean wither 5x each side to total 10 or try 10x each side).Try that 2-3 times a week.

Within Reach

This weather is horrible. It takes some real strength to endure this b.s. let me tell you. All misery aside though, it will end. Before you know it, the sun will be shining and the clothes will be shedding. This is typically my favorite time of year. All the beautiful women of New York City unleash their power upon the world in the form of cute skirts, shorts, and tank tops. Men also hear the call of spring and summer. We think about showing off our assets just as much as women think of showing off theirs.

This naturally means its time to work-out and shed off the winter layer of insulation that’s formed on many of our bodies. As my girlfriend says, “If you can pinch more than an inch…” then the body needs tweeking.

How do we work out if we don’t have time to go to the gym or the budget to even join one? By simplifying the matter and bringing the gym within reach. You can spend less than $100 and have pretty much all you really need to get into great shape.

Here is a home gym that works for anyone. The big blue ball, called various things including a stability ball, resistance ball, balance ball etc. is the perfect foundation for any home gym. You can pretty much do anything with that ball and call it exercise. The dumbbells are 5 lbs., but you can get any weight you wish, depending on your current level of fitness. I’m in pretty good shape and a set of 5-10 lbs. would suit me just fine. The resistance bands (lying on the blue ball) can be manipulated to do a multitude of exercises and the resistance can easily be changed. Ankle weights are optional… I have been known to wear them for hours at a time and do butt extensions and leg curls. Finally, the exercise/yoga mat helps when you need to floor exercises.

A rough price list for all the items was compiled from Target and Modell’s. This is thanks to the fact that they are both conveniently in the same mall and carry sporting goods, not for any preferential reasons. For online quotes go to Target.com or Modells.com.

Resistance Ball: $15-$30
Resistance Bands: $10-$26
Ankle weights: $10-$25 *get a set made from durable canvas or leather. Just trust me.
Dumbbells: $3-$11 individually
Mat: $18-$30

It’s not thousands of dollars like the Bowflex or a treadmill. It’s much more versatile than a bench or one of those ridiculous abdominal machines. It’s closer than going to the gym. Nice and simple solution to the nagging question: “Can I pinch more than an inch?”