Archive for June, 2010

Hot Water Therapy Exercise : Knee Walk and Knee Circles

The Knee Walk hot water therapy exercise is meant to treat lower back. The assumption is that you are lying in hot water tub. The knee walk exercise is good for abdominal muscles, and doing it without hands will increase the workout for stomach.
- Position a towel or cushion beneath you, your head and shoulders as well.
- Recline against the back of the tub, or the edge of the hot tub.
- Settle down until you are nearly lying on your back, but do not drown.
- Knees should be up, your feet suspended, loose and comfortably dangling.
- Place your left hand on left kneecap and right hand on right kneecap.
- Walk your knees back and forth – a total of three to five inches back and forth is plenty.
- Do for 30 to 60 seconds.
- You can walk your knees without keeping your hands on knee caps once you are comfortable with this exercise.

The Knee Circles hot water therapy exercise is meant to treat lower back. The assumption is that you are lying in hot water tub.
- Position a towel or cushion beneath you, your head and shoulders as well.
- Recline against the back of the tub, or the edge of the hot tub.
- Settle down until you are nearly lying on your back, but do not drown.
- Knees should be up, your feet suspended, loose and comfortably dangling.
- Place your left hand on left kneecap and right hand on right kneecap. Keep your knees tightly together.
- Move your knees in a circular motion. Move at a comfortable speed. try to keep your entire lower back on the tub bottom at all times.
- Do not make big circles at first. Do this for a few seconds at first and work up to 30 to 60 sec.
- Once you are comfortable doing this exercise, do it without keeping your hands on knee caps.

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Hot Water Therapy Exercise : Scared Cat to Swaybacked Horse

The Scared cat and Swayhorse hot water therapy exercise is meant to treat middle and lower back. The assumption is that bath or hot tub is available.
- To avoid the hard surface of the tub, place a towel or a soft cushion beneath yourself.
- Get down on hands and legs, with all your weight balanced. The tops of the toes should touch the tub floor.
- Depth of the water does not matter but your face should be above the water surface.
- Arch your back upwards gently. Drop down your head and hold the position for six seconds.
- Do not tighten any muscles other than those directly needed to arch the back.
- If you want to try this exercise in hot shower, bend your legs slightly, resting hands and weight on knees. Arch your back upwards slightly, squeezing your stomach and forming a curve with your head hanging down.

The Swaybacked Horse

- While in scared cat position, slowly and carefully flatten your back and relax your stomach and back muscles so that your back drops down a bit.
- Raise your head.
- Hold it for six seconds and then return to neutral.
- Repeat both position for six times.
- If you want to try this exercise in hot shower, drop the lower back by relaxing the stomach muscles and letting the curves release. With hands still on knees, raise your head to form the horse. Hold for six seconds, directing the spray of water to the middle back.
- Repeat for six times.

Hot Water Therapy Exercise : Seal to Swan

The seal to swan hot water therapy exercise is meant to treat middle back.
- Stand straight in the usual comfortable erect position.
- Bring your shoulders straight forward without raising your shoulders or turtling your neck as though you were trying trying to touch them in front of you.
- Cross the wrists in front of you with your arms straight down and rotate so you can clap your hands.
- Bend forward slightly to increase the stretch and you will look a bit like a trained seal. This will fan out your shoulder blades and a tension is felt in the middle back. Try to aim the flow of water right where it’s tightest.
- Keep the muscles of legs and buttocks relax.
- Hold the position for approximately six seconds.
- Uncross the wrists, letting the shoulders relax. Without raising hands, bring your shoulders straight back and let your hands move gracefully out to the sides and back. This is posture of the swan.
- Allow arms to hang loosely behind you. Do not raise your shoulders.
- Hold the position for six seconds. Raise your chin slightly if that feels comfortable.
- Repeat for a total of six repetitions.
- It is the movement from seal to swan and back that works both chest and back muscles, but hold each position to feel the stretch.