One of the most common issues our Kinesiologists treat at COAST is back pain. Whether you are recovering from surgery, injured from a car accident, or have back issues related to a lifetime of desk work, performing these three exercises in an active rehab program can help relieve pain by strengthening your back and core.

Bird Dog

An absolute classic in the Kinesiologist rehabilitation toolkit, the Bird Dog exercise is a great way to train your core stability abdominal muscles and work on lower back stability. This exercise is a safe option for individuals with back injuries or recovering from back surgery.

  1. Start on all fours with your hands inline with your shoulders and your knees inline with your hips. You should have a 90 angle at your hips and shoulders.

  2. Maintain a neutral spine, assuring your back is not in a arched or rounded position. You should have a straight line from the back of your head to your tailbone.

  3. Maintaining a stable torso and raise your left arm and right leg simultaneously at a controlled pace. Slowly lower them back to the starting position with minimal move to in you body.

  4. Try not to collapse into your supporting leg and keep your hips stable. Drive your heel to the wall behind you to recruit your glute and lift your leg.

  5. Lower back to the starting position and repeat on the other side. Repeat for 10 to 15 reps or for timed reps by doing 5 to 6 reps at 5-10 seconds each.

Bird Dog Exercise

Bird Dog Exercise

Bird Dog Exercise

Bird Dog Exercise

Dead Bug

Recommended by Physiotherapists, Chiropractors, Athletic Therapists and Kinesiologists alike, the Dead Bug is really effective at working your deeper abdominal muscles such as the transverse abdominis, multifidus, diaphragm, and pelvic floor.

  1. Lie face-up with your arms extended toward the ceiling, directly over your shoulders, and knees bent 90 degrees over hips.

  2. Stabilize your core and don’t let your low back arch off the floor while you slowly extend your opposite arm and leg away from your body.

  3. Return to starting position and immediately repeat on the opposite side for 20 reps (10 on each side), until you fatigue or lose your core position.

  4. Repeat for 2-4 sets

Dead Bug Exercise

Dead Bug Exercise

Dead Bug Exercise

Dead Bug Exercise

High to Low Band Reverse Fly

The High To Low Band Reverse Fly exercise is great for improving posture by promoting good spinal position and control, strengthening the mid-back and teaching good scapular (shoulder blade) positioning. This drill can also be a great way to address common issues experienced many by office workers, hair stylists, dentists or any other profession prone to poor posture.

  1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, keeping a slight bend in the knees.

  2. Keep your torso stacked over your hips and avoid flaring your lower rib cage.

  3. With straight arms, hold the exercise band above your head.Keeping a proud chest posture, slowly pull the band outward and down.

  4. Focus on using your mid back area to pull the arms out and down.

  5. Start with 1-2 sets, 8-12 reps with a 2-3 second hold for each rep.

  6. Use a light resistance first and work your way up and your proficiency increases.

High To Low Reverse Fly

High To Low Reverse Fly

High To Low Reverse Fly

High To Low Reverse Fly

At COAST we believe in a holistic and movement-based approach to treatment. While working with other therapists at COAST, our Kinesiologists can help you safely rehabilitate through strength and mobility exercises to build a stronger and more resilient body.

To book an appointment with one of our Kinesiologists, call 604-558-6960 or book online.