Exercise "Crocodile": get rid of back pain

The complex of exercises "Crocodile" for the spine is made up of nine variants of body twists with different positions of the legs and is designed for prevention and treatment of problems of the musculoskeletal system (in particular, the spine), massage of internal organs and removal of the pain syndrome from the muscles of the back and pelvis. Developed by manual therapists from Australia as a result of observations of the spine's movements in the crocodile, which never undergoes corrosion and deformation.

This technique is available to people of any age and physical fitness, does not require a lot of space or special equipment: a thin enough blanket or blanket laid on the floor.

When is the exercise used?

The complex of exercises "Crocodile" for the spine is shown with the following symptoms and pathologies:

• With cervical and lumbar radiculitis;
• Pathology of the sacral department;
• Osteochondrosis of the spine;
• Intervertebral hernia and protrusion.

And also it is used for spasm of the muscles of the lumbar region and pelvis, pear-shaped muscle syndrome, presence of stagnant phenomena in the pelvic organs and digestion and stool disorders. Let's look at how this exercise is done.

Features of the implementation

Specificity of the exercise "Crocodile" is a spiral rotation of the body, when the head turns in one direction, and the pelvis with the legs in the other, respectively, the spine makes twisting.

The basic rule is to listen to your sensations, to avoid sharp pain and extremely sharp movements. In this case, do not immediately make large amplitude movements, you need to let the body get used to, warm up. A total of 8 twists (four on each side), with about 3-4 seconds, the fixation of the twisted position should last.

Each type of exercise "Crocodile" should be done slowly and carefully, watching the relaxation of the muscles and stretching the tendons. Breathing should be voluminous, prolonged and through the nose. In the initial position, an exhalation should be made, and at the moment of movement - an inhalation.

In addition, it is recommended to perform gymnastics on an empty stomach. It is very important at the end of the whole session to make a relaxation posture - just lie on your back with straight arms and legs and closed eyes, keeping all the muscles of the body in an absolutely relaxed state.

Block number 1

In this series, the exercise "Crocodile" is produced in the minimum volume:

1. Lying on the back - the legs are straight, shoulder width apart, the arms are laid out to the sides so that they form one line - make turns with the whole body in one direction, and with the head in the other.
2. The starting position is the same, but put the heel of one foot on the fingers of the other, while turning the body to watch that the position of the feet is preserved.

Block number 2

When performing the "Crocodile" exercise of the second level, if possible, at the extreme point of fixation, pause for 4-8 seconds when inhaling:

1. In the knees, the bent legs form an angle of 90 °. A pinch of one leg lies on top of the other knee and turns the body and pelvis in opposite directions. It is necessary to watch, that shoulders and hands remained tightly pressed to a floor.
2. The legs are bent at the knees and are wider than the shoulders. Do not tear off the feet from the floor, but only turning them, we turn the torso and the pelvis in one direction, and the head - in the other. If it turns out, then the foot that is closer to the floor, completely lies on it.

Block number 3

The third level of complexity of the "Crocodile" exercise for the back, in which prolonged, from one minute, fixation at the turning point, provided that the internal comfort looks like this:

• Legs bent at the knees, at an angle of 90 ° or slightly more, the hips are tightly compressed, while the feet are in the air, and the line of the knees is parallel to the line of the hip joints. To make turns all over the body so that the hips keep their angle of fold and smoothly lay down on the floor (if possible). It is not allowed to make sudden movements or uncontrollable falls of the feet on the floor.
• The same principle of leg position and movement, but at the end point straighten the leg that is higher, and try to touch it with the nearby hand, you can also pull the toe of the foot slightly toward yourself.
• With the right leg, twist the slightly bent left leg so that the arch of the right foot is caught on the left shin (in yoga this position of the legs is called garudasana). Make a turn of the pelvis to the left, as far as the amplitude or sensation allows. If they are saturated, it is recommended to lie in this position for about 30 seconds, breathing deeply and evenly.

Additional exercises to improve blood circulation along the vertebral column

These poses are also taken from the practice of hatha yoga and tested in numerous classes and practitioners: the effect of alleviating muscle spasms comes almost immediately! Leaves stiffness and swelling, breathing becomes more free, so these provisions are recommended for people with impaired respiratory and cardiovascular systems. The main condition is adequacy in performance:

• Lying on your stomach, stretch your right straight arm to the left, palm up and put it so that the brush lies exactly along the line of the shoulder joint, the second hand is lowered down the body and also unfolded with the palm upward. The body lies on the right hand so that it is located along the line of the clavicles or slightly lower, but not below the sternum line. Breathe deeply, through the space between the shoulder blades, trying to ensure that when inhaling, this zone is maximized. In the position to stay from 30 seconds to a minute, if there is numbness in the fingers - it's okay, as it goes through practice. When leaving the position, move the arms in a circular motion through the center and relax along the body down for 10-20 seconds. Repeat to the other side.

• Lying on your stomach, take your right hand to the right and tightly press the entire length of the arm to the floor. It is straight, and the palm is in line with the shoulder joint. Carefully turn your body away from your hand (do not move it!), Turn on your side and bend your knees, try to push out the chest, taking the shoulder blades and shoulder joints behind your back. Fix from 30 seconds, then relax and repeat on the other side.