Cobra confidential

Muscle & Fitness, July, 2009 by Jim Stoppani, Mark Thorpe

Back problems are so prevalent in America, it seems the human spine is still catching up with the demands of modern life. And heavy squats, deadlifts and bent-over rows can place further pressure on your vertebral discs. Help may be just a stretch away. A Danish study found that the prone press-up (cobra pose in yoga parlance) helps prevent back pain. Researchers reported that military recruits who performed 15 prone press-ups every morning for about eight months had significantly fewer back problems compared to recruits who didn't perform the exercise. Try the cobra pose a few times per week.

(SPINE 27(24):2,747-2,752, 2002; STRENGTH & CONDITIONING JOURNAL 20(6):78-80, 2007)

EDITED BY JIM STOPPANI, PHD, AND MARK THORPE