Exercises
These exercises should be done daily. Start with three to five repetitions of each exercise.
If you can handle five repetitions without post exercise pain, then slowly add a couple of
repetitions each week until you reach 10 repetitions. Doing more than 10 reps is also
good but I suspect you may not have the time or patience hence 10 reps is good enough
to keep you going for a long time. Unless otherwise specified, breathe normally during
each exercise.
Always warm up before stretching exercises. Five minutes of walking, or exercise
bike, elliptical trainer, or even marching on the spot is enough. Not warming up before
stretching can make your back susceptible to injuries causing back pain. Warm muscles
are more flexible than cold muscles and are less likely to tear.
The exercises given here start with the simplest and progress gradually to more difficult
ones. Stretching exercises are given first followed by strengthening exercises. I am not
really distinguishing between the two, since any form of movement will stretch one set
of muscles and strengthen another set. The aim is to do as much as you can and as
regularly as you can.