Here’s a simple exercise that can help release the tension on your back. If you have a bent or hunched back, repeated doing the exercise may help to release pressure and the stress on your back. This exercise is inexpensive and you only use your own body weight.
What’s the exercise, well, it’s just hanging on the monkey bar- where you support your weights using your arms and hands that are hanging on the railing:
Precautions:
- Ensure you have warmed up sufficiently- stretching and doing cardio like brisk walking or jogging. Do not do this exercise when your muscles are cold and stiff or you have end up injuring or spraining your shoulders
- Do not use a monkey bar that is too high- so high that if you fall down, you may end up injuring yourself
- Do not do this exercise if you have injuries on your shoulders, neck, arm, wrists or any part of your back
Why this exercise is good:
- It stretches your spine and back muscles
- It builts up your shoulder and back muscles
- When you hang from the bar, by default, your entire back is straightened and your body hangs loose due to gravity. It wil loosen any tension on your lower back muscles
Don’t be discouraged when at first you find that you cannot hang on the bar. Try it a few times a week- for example after a round of jogging or brisk walking, do some stretching and then do this exercise a few times. Then go for jogging or brisk walking and come back and try again. After a while, your strength will slowly built up.
When I first started this exercise, at first I can’t even hold on for a few seconds- I am still not great at it but at least I can lift up my legs. Monkey bars can be found at most children playground here and there’re really great to help built up muscles and strength using body weight. I find the exercise good to help release tension especially if we sit in the office the whole day.
