My Aching Back: Part 5

I now have two back exercises from my visit to phyiscal therapy to combat my recent back woes. (I'd say my back is about 80% healthy.)

One is to lean backwards while standing, as far back as I can go.

The other is to lie on my stomach, palms in front of my chest as if about to do push ups, but the hands are closer together. Then, using only the back, arch backwards, using the arms only for support. (The back is doing all the work here.) The finishing position is the arms fully extended, the back fully arched.

I have to be conscientious to do these exercises whenever I feel the back pain. The therapist also suggested being more conscious of my posture, and to bend my knees whenever I need to lean forward from my hips (which occurs while I'm changing diapers, washing dishes, or brushing my teeth). I'm going to have trouble trying to be perfect here, but if I can reduce the strain on my back, I'll be able to fully eliminate the pain.