Re: Post your daily exercise routine

I think all runners suffer from a tight back at times. The harder I train the more it can affect me. In my case it stems from very tight tendons in the back of my leg from my foot all the way up. I created a very potent leg stretcher that is really uncomfortable to use - makes me feel sick at times - but it does the job really well. I made it out of an old tow rope and some towels. You will never get the same amount of stretch by any other method. First of all my muscles are rigid but after 30s or so they start to relax.

I can get up in the morning hardly able to walk properly - as yesterday in fact - with a tight back yet after stretching in such a manner the pain has gone. If similar stretching helps - such as forcing the foot and leg in a similar manner to the picture but behind you whilst holding onto something then you probably have very tight muscles and tendons too (all runners do I think). Not saying this will work for all but it certainly works for me. It also helped sort out a nasty achilles tendon injury that plagued me for ages too.

Obviously you have to be very careful as you can easily injure yourself so use with extreme caution - if you ever decide to make such a contraption that is.

This is a pic of me stretching my right leg with it ...

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

Excellent exercise Mark. A few years ago I suffered with very painful Achilles Tendons. I believe it was caused during the last steep downhill mile of a Half Marathon where I sprinted to the finish. I searched the internet for help and found a report by a Triathlete who had similarly damaged her Achilles and she found a stretching exercise that helped to alleviate the injury.

She suggests that in bare feet stand with your toes resting on a step with the rest of your foot hanging over the edge and with the legs straight, lift your body on to your tip toes and then down. Repeat this as many times as you can building up to a hundred. Then repeat the exercise with knees slightly bent.

At the moment I am doing 140....70 with straight legs and 70 with bent knees.
I found that using steps works well and gives you something to hold on to.
I was doing them twice a day for the last three years, but recently I found that once a day is sufficient.

Achilles problems are now a thing of the past.

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

OK 'guys' this may seem pathetic but I THINK I might be getting to grips with my treadmill (jury's out on that).


It's a manual one (Argos) and has a fixed incline.

I'd really like to be able to stand upright on it but being 5'2" I find that I'm hunched over and hanging on like mad.

I can do 2 minutes jogging/walking at a time, whilst twisting my hips, which seems to be OK for my back problem.









and yes I do still use it to hang the washing on

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

Yes apologies if I sounded flippant, but I am serious.

I had a back problem for many years and I still need to be really careful.

Sometimes, when it was feeling fine, if I bent over to clean my teeth it would 'go' again and I'd be in agony ... that would not right itself for days, weeks or even months.

Using this treadmill is odd, possibly because it's a manual one ? and when I see the automated kind on telly, it looks great. They don't have to hang on for dear life! but, as with all advertised equipment/ads they don't show how difficult it can be.

I also have a Wifit and have found that kind of very gentle exercise good fir my back in the past.

Trying to ride a bike (I am a novice) which has the handle bars low down, as in mountain bike or hybrid, I now realise, has also a mistake in the past.
An old fashioned ladies' bike with smaller wheels might be the way to do it.

Any other novices out there?

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

Not many can use a treadmill however good it is without holding on. If you don't hold on you can easily lose your balance which might lead to a fall or a twisted back quite easily. Just get used to it WITH holding on and forget the idea of leaving the handle bars go. Try to relax whilst altering your gait and body position so you feel more comfortable. Practice makes perfect and in time you won't feel so awkward on it.

Do sit-ups with a cushion in the small of your back to strengthen your stomach muscles - along with straight legs ups. Believe it or not strong stomach muscles can help with maintaining good posture thereby reducing back problems.

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

Many years ago I tried sit ups and leg ups (recommended by an athlete friend) but this strained my back.

I was very thin and used to ballet and skating.
Maybe an inherent problem.

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

That is what the cushion is for. No need to attempt to do full sit-ups - just gentle ones where you only rise of the floor a few inches. Apart from the fact you can strain yourself by overexerting you can also bruise your back from slapping down on the floor each time - I know - been there and got the t-shirt. Just a little exertion so your stomach muscles are tightened each time is enough for now.

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

Just regarding achilles tendon injuries I had a really bad one about 13 years ago after a particularly painstaking, steep and slippery descent of Red Pike in the Lake district. Once it recovered I had scar tissue so I'd wear one of these at night when I went through my long distance running phase. It forces your foot to be at a right angle so the scar doesn't heal into a contracted lump from pointing feet at night.


http://www.physioroom.com/product/Pr...FYIV0wod0woKzg

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

Didn't think of something like that. Looks like it might well have helped me at the time.

Re: Post your daily exercise routine

Best thing to stretch all your tendons to the limit is yoga. Men have no excuse now as there is Broga :

https://brogayoga.com/aboutus/broga/

My daily routine recently has been ten minutes of sun salutations. But today I did some "happy yoga" too focusing on a bridge pose :



http://www.yogajournal.com/poses/bridge-pose