Strengthening exercises
Do each exercise for 45 seconds.
Combine 3–4 exercises (some exercises span 2 or more images).
Goals: stabilization and strengthening of highly affected body regions
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Universität Hamburg / Ohme
Butterfly (strengthening the trapezius muscle)
- Starting position:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Keep elbows at shoulder height.
- Point thumbs backward.
- Step 1:
- Bring elbows and forearms together in front of the body.
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Universität Hamburg / Ohme
Butterfly (strengthening the trapezius muscle)
- Step 2:
- Open up elbows and forearms.
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Universität Hamburg / Ohme
Neck strengthening
- Starting position:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bend knees slightly.
- Clasp hands behind your head.
- Execution:
- Slowly push head against resistant hands.
- Release slowly.
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Universität Hamburg / Ohme
Lateral neck strengthening
- Starting position:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bend knees slightly.
- Place one hand at the side of your head.
- Execution:
- Build up sideways pressure on the head.
- Keep cervical spine straight.
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Universität Hamburg / Ohme
Pull hands in front of chest
- Starting position:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bend knees slightly.
- Clasp hands in front of chest.
- Execution:
- Pull hands apart strongly.
- Keep elbows at shoulder height and shoulders low.
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Universität Hamburg / Ohme
Pull hands behind chest
- Starting position:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bend knees slightly.
- Clasp hands behind the back.
- Execution:
- Pull hands apart strongly.
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Universität Hamburg / Ohme
Lift shoulders
- Starting position:
- Loosen stance.
- Let arms hang loosely by the side.
- Execution:
- Pull up both shoulders strongly, and slowly lower them again.
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Universität Hamburg / Ohme
Back strengthening
- Starting position:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Keep arms by the side.
- Execution:
- Bend knees slightly.
- Tilt upper body slightly forward.
- Keep back straight.
- Extend arms into spinal extension and hold there.
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Universität Hamburg / Ohme
Back strengthening arm pendulum
- Starting position:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Stretch one arm upward in extension of the torso and the other arm backward.
- Execution:
- Bend knees slightly.
- Tilt upper body slightly forward.
- Keep back straight.
- Switch arms in controlled manner (pendulum movement).
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Universität Hamburg / Ohme
Chopping (deep torso muscles)
- Starting position:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bend knees slightly.
- Point thumbs toward the ceiling.
- Stretch both arms forward at shoulder height.
- Point thumbs toward the ceiling.
- Execution:
- Move arms up and down in opposite small chopping movements.
- Keep torso stable and breathe.
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Universität Hamburg / Ohme
Squats
- Starting position:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Keep arms by the side.
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Universität Hamburg / Ohme
Squats
- Execution:
- Bend knees and stretch.
- Keep back straight.
- Bring up arms up via front when bending legs and when stretching back to starting position.
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Universität Hamburg / Ohme
Lunge
- Starting position:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart in a stepping position.
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Universität Hamburg / Ohme
Lunge
- Execution:
- Bend the front leg, and lower the back knee toward the floor.
- Keep back straight.
- Do not let the front knee go over the toes.
- Keep main load on the front heel.
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Universität Hamburg / Ohme
Knee lift
- Starting position:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- First, lift and lower one leg slowly (repeat 8–12 times), and then switch sides.
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Universität Hamburg / Ohme
Knee lift and small lunge
- Starting position:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- First, lift one knee slowly and return to lunge (repeat 8–12 times), and then switch sides.
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Universität Hamburg / Ohme
Bent over torso rotation
- Starting position:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Bend knees slightly.
- Tilt upper body slightly forward.
- Keep back straight.
- Place hands on temples and elbows to the side.
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Universität Hamburg / Ohme
Bent over torso rotation
- Execution:
- Rotate torso in controlled manner from right to left.
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Universität Hamburg / Ohme
Shoulder rotation
- Starting position:
- Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Stretch arms out to the sides at shoulder height.
- Turns backs of hands toward the ceiling.
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Universität Hamburg / Ohme
Shoulder rotation
- Execution:
- Turn palms toward the ceiling.
- Pull the shoulder blades down while doing this.
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Universität Hamburg / Ohme
Calf raise
- Starting position:
- Stand with feet hip-width apart.
- Lift heels off floor and hold briefly.
- Lower them again.