LaReine Chabut

Yoga is well known for making people more flexible, supple, lithe, and limber. In fact, you’ve probably seen photographs of yogis or yoginis contorting themselves into different yoga postures. However, recent studies indicate that it’s a safe and effective option for relieving moderate low back pain.In a study funded by NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), participants suffering from chronic lower back pain were divided into three groups: one group took 12 weekly yoga classes, one group took 12 weekly stretching classes, and one group was given a self-care book and encouraged to exercise to relieve pain.

If you want to get into weight training, start by sorting fact from fiction. Don’t let stories you’ve heard about weight lifting keep you from the gym. You'll reach your fitness goals sooner by getting some simple home equipment and finding a qualified personal trainer. Follow some basic etiquette when working with a trainer and using the gym, and learn some muscle terminology so you’re comfortable with weight training.

Your core muscles stabilize the spine and pelvis and run the entire length of the torso. A strong core gives you better posture and stability and reduces back pain — a strong core also makes you less prone to aches when you have to stand for a long time or spend hours sitting in front of a computer. You can train your core in a variety of ways, and you can even use everyday items around the house to do so.

Yoga itself is at least 5,000 years old, and yoga exercising — what you know as yoga postures, or asanas — emerged about 600 years ago. Even though yoga has evolved over the centuries as it traveled to new cultures, its principles are universal. Yoga is a practice of mind, body, breath, and spirit. The articles in the Cheat Sheet touch on the physical and mental benefits yoga offers, offer suggestions for how to enhance your yoga practice even when you’re on your own, and remind you why warming up is so important to any exercise routine — even one as “user-friendly” as yoga.

There are so many little ways that improving your flexibility can help in your daily life. So, why not give stretching a try? Investing in a consistent stretching routine can help you maintain general health, avoid injury and reduce stress. Stretching can be as simple as touching your toes and can be done almost anywhere, at any time.

A variation on the classic bridge, the single-leg bridge targets the hamstrings and glutes while working on an exercise ball. Because the single-leg bridge uses the weight of only one leg to support the weight of your entire body, the all-important core muscles (abs and butt muscles) also get a good workout.Sit tall on the ball and roll down slowly until only your shoulders touch the ball.

The bridge is one of the most classic positions for ball exercises. The bridge gives your hips and lower back a workout as you lift up your body.Rest your head and shoulders on the ball with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.Make sure that your knees are stacked over your ankles. Keep your arms folded behind your head and press the hips up toward the ceiling.

The torso lift helps improve posture and strengthens all the muscles along the spine. Doing the torso lift after working on your abdominal muscles also feels really good because of the opposing motion — lifting up rather than curling in. This exercise focuses on working the lower body.Lie with your stomach and waist on the ball and your legs extended behind you.

The backbend stretch feels really good right after you do abdominal crunches because by bending backward on the exercise ball, you stretch your muscles in the opposite direction, reversing the motion of the crunch. This exercise focuses on working the lower body and also releases any tensions in your back that may have built up.