Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #279441 in Books
• Published on: 1998-07-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 272 pages

From the Author
This program is different from everything else out there!
Hi! Thanks for your interest in my book and your own health. This program offers an alternative method of strengthening for those unable or unwilling to do traditional abdominal exercises.

I want to tell you what makes these abdominal and back exercises different. First, strengthening the deepest layers of your abdominal muscles will be acheived with NO movement of the head or trunk. Then, your posture will be dramatically improved and your back muscles strengthened with only FOUR repetitions of each exercise. Your "functional" flexibility will be increased and your range of motion improved by "moving through" stretches rather than holding them. Your respiratory function improves through the practice of "belly breathing". And daily practice of the exercises will also result in stress management beneficial to your "whole" health.

All of these positive changes come about through the use of your breath to initiate, execute and enhance the effectiveness of each exercise.

These are TOTAL body exercises! It is not enough to focus on strengthening a single muscle or set of muscles. The strengthening of specific muscles (abdominals or back) must be combined with the actions of other muscles to benefit the body as a whole.

This program is safe, appropriate and adaptable for EVERYONE, even special populations, such as seniors, bedridden, arthritics, cardiac recovery, para or quadriplegic, overweight, pregnant women right up to the moment of delivery, MS, CP, or other CNS related conditions.

Although this book was written as a preventitive and rehabilitative program for people with a history of back injury, back surgery and chronic back pain, the benefits of "core" strengthening of the trunk are invaluable for everyone with a torso!

How does it work? The abdominal exercises use "forced expriation of breath" to pull the abdominal wall inward, and then sustain easy diaphragmatic breathing while maintaining the deep, inward pull. The range of motion exercises use continuous rythmic spiral/diagonal movements to lubricate the joint capsules and warm the supporting muscle groups. The back strengthening exercises involve use of the breath and small moves, held in a sustained postition for several seconds; sending new sensory information to the motor nerves and beginning the process of neuro-muscular re-education. The slow repetitions of the moving stretches and the application of low force stress-tension to the muscles allows the muscles to go through the changes necessary to allow permanent tissue lengthening.

Along with the book, audio cassette tapes of my voice taking you through the exercises are also available from Amazon.com. The tapes act as both a training guide for the entire program and as an aid in achieving the relaxed state suggested for your daily exercises. Special tips and cautions are clearly given.

Good work to you, and most of all, delight in this new experience!

Customer Reviews

Makes alot of sense
I bought this book on line and used the methods the first night I picked up the book. I felt more relaxed and felt the stress melt away from my shoulders and upper back.Recommend to anyone trying to reduce their stress, it helped me , I also recommend The Backsmart Fitness Plan, this book also help me a lot with building a stronger more limber body. Hope this review helps you.

Have back pain? Don't ever want back pain? READ THIS BOOK!
Ms. Swayzee wrote her book for the lay person, yet you will find that it is not at all simplistic. IF YOU WANT RELIEF FROM LOW BACK PAIN OR IF YOU HAVE A HEALTHY BACK AND YOU WANT TO KEEP IT THAT WAY you must learn how to function, day to day, utilizing a stable trunk. This means, that YOUR UPPER BODY AND LOWER BODY NEED TO LEARN TO STAY TOGETHER AS A SINGLE, STABILIZED, UNIT as you lift, work, carry, etc. This book tells you how to use your inner abdominal muscles to achieve a stable trunk. In my opinion, the critical discovery set forth in this book is the use of forced-expiration breathing to achieve a body stabilizing abdominal contraction. This technique allows instant access to a stable trunk and can therefore be used moment to moment, throughout the day. I use her method constantly all day long. This is the only effective way I know to protect the back during the damaging rigors of everyday life. It allows a person to quickly target the proper abdominal muscles and then to maintain a more powerful, more sustained abdominal contraction when needed. During quieter activities when I am not lifting, pulling, pushing, carrying etc. I maintain a constant 10% to 15% contraction as a matter of routine posture. I look better and I feel better. IN FACT AFTER TWO YEARS OF SERIOUS DAILY LOW BACK PAIN, I FEEL GREAT!! If practiced for a few weeks, this health-preserving technique soon develops into a reflex that becomes automatic. THIS BOOK CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE!

A FANTASTIC BOOK TO REBUILD YOURSELF
I love the book. Very well explained. Simple exercises but very effective. I have bought many books about the back, and this is really the best. I just would love to get the audio tapes. I live in UK. Please, if you know how I could get them, write me to javismiles@excite.com thanks a lot