
Welcome! This is where you start:
Watch Lecture 1: Back Pain Relief Intro video.
Read Back Pain Relief Exercises and Stretches Manual (pdf)
Refer to the Sample Schedules (pdf) for guidelines of how to proceed with the practices.
Do the Breathing to Release Tension video in Section 3.
Watch the Techniques and Bracing Your Core videos in Section 2: Lectures 2-4. (You can watch Lecture 5: Posture Alignment video later).
Start doing the yoga and workouts in Sections 4 & 5 according to the sample schedule that suits you best. If you are just getting back into exercise and yoga, its best to start with the Gentle Yoga practice.
Remember to go at a pace that's right for you and honor your limits.
Bonnie and Jennifer demonstrate real-life tips for relaxing your Upper Back, Neck, and Shoulders in your daily movements. You'll also find a Visualization exercise to help you release tension.
Karen and Jennifer demonstrate real-life tips for protecting your Lower Back, Hips, and Pelvis in your daily movements.
Have you ever heard a fitness instructor say 'Brace Your Core'? This goes in depth into what that means and how it can be helpful in daily life. Jennifer also explains why it's important to keep your diaphragm healthy and how to do it.
Do you slump at your desk? Does your back hurt when you bend over? Use these tips to improve your posture and help reduce back pain caused by bad posture.
If you tense up your muscles, you may be making your back pain worse. These practice will help. You can do it as often as you like.
Did you know that your diaphragm is an essential core muscle? It is not only the main muscle of breathing but it also stabilizes your torso. Learn how to keep it strong and healthy here.
This is a gentle yoga practice that is all done either standing or sitting on a chair.
Equipment: yoga mat, chair, strap (optional)
If your back is sore, just do small segments of the practice to start and gradually work your way up to doing the entire practice.
This is a yoga practice that is done both lying or sitting on the floor.
Equipment: yoga mat, pillows for support (optional)
If your back is sore, just do small segments of the practice to start and gradually work your way up to doing the entire practice.
In Yin yoga you'll be holding each pose for a long time so the stretches go deep. In this video, we hold each pose for about 3 minutes. You can start doing shorter durations and work your way up to longer holds. This practice is done both lying or sitting on the floor.
Equipment: yoga mat, pillows for support
If your back is sore, just do small segments of the practice to start and gradually work your way up to doing the entire practice.
Watch this intro for helpful tips before doing the FCC Mat Workout.
This mat workout is based in Pilates exercises. It will work your entire core in multiple ways. Most of the workout is done lying or sitting on the floor.
Equipment:
yoga mat
9" Pilates ball - optional - if you do not have a ball skip the exercises that require that you use the ball for support
If you are sore or out of shape, do as many of the exercises and the reps of each exercise as you can for today. You can do little bit more each time you practice. Honor your limits. Breathe.
Watch this introduction before doing the FCC Standing workout.
This is a workout that is all done in a standing position - no getting up and down off the floor.
Equipment:
9" Pilates ball - This is optional. It can be ordered online. If you are more advanced you can replace the ball with a light dumbbell.
If you are sore or out of shape, do as many of the exercises and the reps of each exercise as you can for today. You can do little bit more each time you practice. Honor your limits. Breathe.
Description
This course is essential to anyone who has been suffering from back pain and wants to be independent and strong, now and in the future. It's designed for people with back pain who need to start slow and progress at your own pace so you don’t hurt yourself more.
It can be difficult to know how to effectively strengthen your back without injuring it further. This course aims to overcome this challenge by leading you through biomechanically-safe and effective exercises, stretches, and posture practices that help you to stay functional without making pain worse.
Doing the recommended practices regularly can help you decrease pain, get stronger, increase flexibility, regain and maintain mobility, and improve posture. At the end of this course, you will be able to recognize what you are doing to cause back pain and what you need to do to relieve it.
Master Back Health by Improving Strength, Flexibility, and Mobility, plus Building Awareness
Back pain is common for people of all ages. People are seeking effective ways to reduce pain so they can live the active lives they desire – we want to hike, bike, play golf, garden, and enjoy freedom well into our retirement.
People experience back pain for various reasons, either they have been too sedentary, their job or a sport has caused repetitive stress, they have an old injury, there is a congenital spinal condition, or they are dealing with arthritis or other conditions that develop as we age.
This program is somewhat different from a standard strength training or stretching program. Some of the practices may surprise you. It blends methods and techniques from various disciplines, including yoga and sport science, and emphasizes building awareness and moving in ways that are biomechanically-safe. The course leads you through exercises and stretches where you will learn to move mindfully and incorporate breathing into your movements while still getting a workout.
This course includes practical techniques for dealing with pain when it arises. It also includes education about core strength, the importance of the diaphragm, and breath work.
The key to a healthy back and reducing pain is three-fold:
1) Regular, biomechanically-safe movement in all planes of motion. This builds functional core strength.
2) Learning to release tension.
3) Practicing a unique kind of breath work which not only helps to achieve 1 & 2 above but it also improves the mind-body connection and strength of the diaphragm.
The benefit of doing it this way is that you learn how to recognize the things you are doing that make your pain worse. When we build awareness of imbalances, tension areas, and poor alignment then we are able to make corrections that can minimize problems.
Contents and Overview
This course contains a manual, 2 Functional Core Conditioning Exercise practices, 3 Gentle Yoga practices, 2 Breathwork practices, 4 lectures, and 5 hours of content. It’s designed for anyone, regardless of fitness level, who wishes to reduce back pain, increase strength and flexibility, and learn methods that help maintain functionality as we age.
In this course, you will:
practice biomechanically-safe yoga stretching and functional core exercises
learn what functional core strength is and how to create it
learn what to DO to keep your posture aligned at work or play so you decrease your potential for back pain
practice breathing techniques that reduce pain and strengthen your diaphragm
discover why a strong diaphragm is important for back strength
The exercises are presented in ways that you can start where you are and progress at your own pace.
There are sample 8-week schedules for you to use as a guideline but how often you do the practices will depend on your schedule, your fitness level, and your pain levels on any given day. Although the schedule is formatted for 8 weeks, you can take longer and then carry on with the practices however works best for you. You can use this program as an adjunct to other therapies.
By the end of the course, you’ll have valuable skills that will help you reduce back pain in your daily activities. You’ll know how to exercise your entire back in effective and safe ways that make you stronger, rather than causing you more pain.
With these practices and lessons, you’ll find that you have more control over your back pain and are able to function better in your life.