The backbone's connected to everything!

Wow, I never realized that if you hurt your back, you're pretty much incapacitated. My niece has had back problems most of her life and I can always tell when she's in pain, she walks with her feet pointed out. It is her "my back hurts" walk. I knew it when I saw it but it wasn't until yesterday that I experienced it. I can't stand on hard floors for an extended period of time anymore - I stood in my studio yesterday while I composed fused glass pieces for the kiln, about an hour. I'm paying for it.

My back has hurt before and there some stretches I do that help it. Yesterday, it was hard to do them but I did a few gingerly on my bed at first then on the floor. They really help much more than laying on a heating pad all day. This one is the most effective for me and my favorite...



But all of the exercises on the Mayo Clinic website where I got the photos are worth doing everyday. Even if you don't have back problems, but work at the torch everyday, they're good for flexibility.

Do you have a favorite set of stretches that keep you feeling good? Maybe they're on a website, book or YouTube - I'm always up for learning more!