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5 Ways to Help With Transitional Care

Date: February 10, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Could House Calls Be Making a Comeback?

Change is hard and moving is stressful. Now, imagine that you have to change your entire lifestyle. This is what many seniors have to go through when they deal with transitional care. They may have to leave their home for a community, or downsize their home and allow strangers to come in and help them. There are ways to help ease your senior and make the changes smooth.

5 Ways to Help With Transitional Care

5 Ways to Help With Transitional Care

 

If you aren’t careful, your senior could get very sick because of that change. If they have any chronic conditions, their symptoms can be made worse. There can also be symptoms like losing their voice, urinary tract infections, high blood pressure, delusions, falls, and so much more.

But fear not, these 5 tips should be able to help you with transitional care.

1. Prepare and Educate

You should always make sure that you talk to your senior about what is going to happen. Make sure that they understand that things will be different and why.

It’s also important to educate yourself. Your senior is relying on you as their caregiver. Make sure you have all the information you need to make everything as easy as possible for both of you.

This information can include what to do if you are going from home to a hospital, what’s the best community for your senior’s needs, and who your senior’s doctors are.

2. Keep Communication Open

There’s a lot of moving parts when it comes to senior care, even more so when it’s just the beginning. Your senior could be moved from a hospital to a community without having important info.

See if you can find a way to make sure all people get the information they need. This could mean keeping records yourself and making copies to hand out. It could be asking your senior’s doctor to send the info to the people who need it.

Make sure everyone is on the same page.

3. Pay Attention to Your Senior’s Care Goals

Do you know what your senior wants when it comes to their care? Do they have any treatment preferences? Would they prefer to be at home or a community? Do they have an advance directive?

If no such options are available, it’s important to think about what your senior would truly want. If you have to, gather opinions from other people who know your senior well.

4. Make a Team

The best way to get through all the changes in one piece is to create a team. This way everyone can help you make sure your senior gets the best treatment. It will also make your senior feel supported and safe.

Make sure anyone who is going to help and care for your senior knows what they’re doing. Make sure they know how to care for any chronic conditions that your senior may have.

5. Avoid Hospitalizations

It’s best you avoid any unnecessary changes in their environment. This can mean hospitalizations or ER visits. This can mess with the flow of care your senior gets and upset them. Upsetting them can cause illness and agitation.

Read more here.

How to Keep Long Term Care From Bankrupting You

Date: February 10, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Ways to Keep Long Term Care From Bankrupting You

When people in power talk about the costs of long term care, it’s often overwhelming and cold. They use statistics you can’t really understand. All you want to know is how to keep long term care from bankrupting you. A Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) report may have some solutions.

Ways to Keep Long Term Care From Bankrupting You

How to Keep Long Term Care From Bankrupting You

 

As much as statistics make everything less human, they are good to show how needed this talk is. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 52% of people turning 65 will need long term care. That’s a lot of people.

The Cost of Long Term Care

 

If the government, insurance companies, and employers all adopt proposals in the BPC report, long term care could be a breeze. The report, Financing Long-Term Services and Supports: Seeking Bipartisan Solutions in Politically Challenging Times, lays out how to make paying for long term care easier on the average family.

According to the report, over 12 million people need long term care support. The need will rise as Baby Boomers get older. The cost for long term care is $138,000 for men and $182,000 for women. How many people can actually afford that?

A nursing community costs around $91,300 a year. A home health aide is $45,800 a year. Both are much higher than what the average family can afford.

Plus, Medicare usually doesn’t cover long term care expenses to the shock of many people. Most people believe that the program will help them cover these costs. To qualify for Medicaid, you need to lose almost all of your money.

What the BPC Thinks Will Help

 

The Bipartisan Policy Center has a few ideas on how to ease the pain of Americans when it comes to these costs.

1. Give employers incentives to give affordable “retirement long-term care insurance” as an employee benefit. They can also auto-enroll employees age 45 and older. BPC thinks that the annual premiums for someone in that age bracket might be $600 instead of $2,400.

2. Let employees withdraw from 401(k) and similar retirement accounts without owing federal tax penalties if they use the money to buy long term care insurance policies through their employers.

3. Let Medicare Advantage plans, and other Medicare provider organizations offer up to 14 days a year of respite care coverage to high need, high-cost Medicare beneficiaries who have 3 or more chronic conditions, functional or cognitive impairment, and are part of a person and family-centered care plan. Today, Medicare only offers respite care to beneficiaries in hospice who are expected to die within 6 months.

4. Let Medigap and Medicare Advantage plans sell limited, affordable long term care coverage as an optional, voluntary benefit or a separate insurance policy financed through premiums paid by beneficiaries.

5. Allow state and federal health insurance marketplaces sell lower cost, limited benefit, retirement long term care insurance policies.

If these proposals are put in place, the cost of care would be cut in half.

Read more here.

7 Ways to Handle Medical Management

Date: February 3, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Staying Safe During Coronavirus While Having Dementia

Managing your health is hard enough, but it can get chaotic when you have to manage someone else’s. There a few different ways you can handle medical management of your senior without wanting to pull your hair out. If you aren’t properly prepared, then things can go poorly when there’s an emergency. You may be in charge of your senior’s medical management for years.

7 Ways to Handle Medical Management

7 Ways to Handle Medical Management

 

By knowing what you are doing, you provide a better quality of life for your senior. You also reduce the stress for yourself.

1. Use a Person-Centered Approach

By focusing on the person, you use a more positive approach. It will remind you that the person’s needs are most important. This way it can improve their well-being and their quality of life.

People who are care providers, but not medical professionals, should take a holistic approach with their care. They should try to remove any barriers of the coordination of medical and non-medical care and support.

This method will make your senior feel better overall.

2. Know What the Doctors Should Be Doing

You need to keep track of what each of your senior’s doctors does. That way you know how your senior’s care is supposed to be going.

You can work together with those doctors to create a single idea of what your care goals are.

3. Talk to the Doctors

The best thing you can do for your senior is know how to take care of them. Ask doctors about the chronic conditions your senior has and how you can help them with their symptoms. Should you change anything to their house if they are living at home? Is there something you should let the community know if they are in assisted living?

Don’t be afraid to tell any of your caregivers about changes in your senior’s health.

4. Try Using Methods That Don’t Involve Pills

There are a lot of different ways to help with dementia symptoms that don’t involve pills. There is a lot of evidence showing that other methods can work just as well if not more.

We actually explore this idea more in our article “9 Ways to Help With Dementia Symptoms Without Medications.”

5. Don’t Be Afraid to Use Pills

It’s not bad to use pills when they are necessary. There are times when pills are the right solution. Make sure you talk to all your care providers about what to use and when to use them to best suit your senior.

6. Prepare for Emergencies

Often when it comes to senior care, it’s a matter of when and not if with emergencies. It’s always better to have a plan prepared so your senior can be as safe as possible during the situation.

7. Do End of Life Discussions ASAP

No one wants to talk about the end of a beloved’s life, but it needs to be done. It’s good for you to know what your senior wants and how it should be done. This will also lessen the stress on you.

Read more here.

Gambling Problem Among Seniors

Date: February 3, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
Gambling Problem Among Seniors

Gambling can be a fun way to let loose every once a while. Seniors, in particular, like to go to a casino to socialize and have a break from routine. The problem is that some seniors may enjoy it a little too much, leading to a gambling problem among seniors.

Gambling Problem Among Seniors

Gambling Problem Among Seniors

 

People who have a gambling problem are those who risk more than they can afford to lose. Seniors tend to realize they have a problem when they gamble away their rent and prescription money.

A lot of time, people don’t realize that their senior has a problem until they help them pay bills or balance their checkbook.

Signs of a Gambling Problem

 

Some signs of a gambling problem can be subtle, but there are some things to look for. If your beloved senior talks about gambling wins all the time but never losses, that can be a sign. If gambling replaces other hobbies, then that’s also a sign that there is a problem.

Other signs include:

  • Being preoccupied with gambling/ always thinking about gambling
  • Having to up the stakes to maintain excitement
  • Always failing to stop or cut back on gambling
  • Getting mad when they try to cut back
  • Using gambling to run from depression and anxiety
  • Chasing losses instead of stopping
  • Lying to hide gambling activities
  • Using illegal acts like forgery or fraud to finance gambling
  • Risking or losing a relationship or job because of gambling
  • Borrowing money from others to make up losses

Seniors are the Lifeblood of the Gambling Industry

 

A survey of over 6,500 older people in Omaha, Nebraska found that going to casinos is the second favorite activity, right after bingo. They see it as an escape.

Casinos will also cater to seniors as a way to influence them. They will offer mobility options like motorized scooters and make everything more colorful.

Read more here.

9 Ways to Help With Dementia Symptoms Without Medications

Date: February 3, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
9 Ways to Help With Dementia Symptoms Without Medications

Being able to take medicine is a blessing and a curse. Different medications can really change seniors lives’ for the better. Though sometimes we can all feel overmedicated. The Gerontologist explores different ways to help with dementia symptoms without medications.

The Gerontologist Study

 

The study looked through different articles and studies from January 2010 through January 2017. Solutions without medications were separated by the practice, the effectiveness, and the conclusion. Each practice was thoroughly reviewed to see the acceptability, harmful effects, elements of effectiveness, and the level of investment needed.

These practices help with behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSDs).

The practices include sensory ideas like aromatherapy and massage and psychosocial practices like validation therapy and pet therapy.

Most of these worked well with no harmful effects, and don’t need a huge investment.

Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia

 

Symptoms of dementia can honestly be the most stressful part of having the disease. 97% of people with dementia have at least one of these symptoms.

BPSDs come from changes in the brain in relation to the characteristics of their environment.

Symptoms include

  • Agitation
  • Aberrant Motor Behavior
  • Anxiety
  • Irritability
  • Depression
  • Apathy
  • Disinhibition
  • Delusions
  • Hallucinations
  • Sleep or Appetite Changes

 

9 Ways to Help With Dementia Symptoms Without Medications

 

There are many different ways that you can help a loved one who has dementia without using medication.

1. Aromatherapy

This is a type of therapy that uses scented oils to help calm the body and mind. Certain scents will help with anxiety and bodily pains. Basically, they can change the brain dramatically depending on the scent.

The scents can come from seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other plant parts.

Different studies have looked into how well aromatherapy works for agitation and aggression in dementia. In the studies, the practice had been used through room diffusions, sachets, a patch, or skin cream. Dosages ranged from 3 minutes to a whole day for anywhere between 2-360 days.

There have been mixed results. It really depends on the person. Some people saw great results, others didn’t see a difference. Either way, there are no harmful effects and has a low investment need.

Social and physical contact can be key to getting aromatherapy to work.

2. Massage

Massage can help seniors feel less isolated. This is because touch is a way to communicate without words. Through touch, a person with dementia can feel comforted and cared about. This is especially good for people in communities because touch can feel more systematic than human.

A bonus is that it can also let seniors get to know their health provider better.

You can massage different parts of the body: back, shoulders, neck, hands, or lower legs and feet. A masseuse can use slow or large strokes, rub or knead, non-contact therapeutic touch, or acupressure.

Massage has been shown to reduce agitation, aggression, stress, anxiety, depression, and disruptive vocalizations for a while. As long as the senior is open to it, there are no harmful effects and little investment.

3. Multisensory Stimulation (MSS)

This practice is meant to give “a stress-free, entertaining environment to stimulate and to relax.” It doesn’t need cognitive processing or short term memory.

MSS environments are designed to be explored by the individual in their own way. It’s also supposed to encourage control and autonomy. This can be great for people who have dementia.

MSS simulates different senses through a combo of light effects, calming sounds, smells, and/or tactile stimulation.

This practice can range from 3 sessions to daily sessions over 15 months.

Overall, it seems MSS reduces short-term anxiety, agitation, and apathy. There appear to be no harmful effects, though it requires a moderate investment.

4. Bright Light Therapy

Aging is connected to changes within our circadian sleep cycle which can mess with our sleeping patterns. Anyone who has dementia can be more severely affected by these changes. The changes can show up in symptoms like agitation and sundowning.

Bright light therapy is meant to regulate the circadian rhythms with light and dark cycles. This is particularly good for those in communities and may not get enough sunlight. The light will shine through a light box, light visor, lighting that can be similar to twilight, or natural bright light.

People can be exposed to this lighting for 1 or 2 hours a day for 10 days or up to 2 months.

This type of therapy does not seem to have a real effect on reducing sleep disturbances and other BPSDs. Some studies even suggested it could make things worse.

There are a few that say it helps with agitation, depression, and sleep with certain people.

It’s a toss-up.

It does need a moderate investment with both time and money.

5. Validation Therapy

This type of therapy focuses on accepting the reality of living with dementia. The aim is to help soothe bad feelings and focus more on good feelings. It’s done through different ways like using non-threatening words to create understanding, rephrasing the person’s words, maintain eye contact and a gentle tone of voice, and so much more.

The evidence for this type of therapy is mixed. One study had the therapy happen twice a week for 12 weeks, and each session lasted 45-60 minutes. The study found significant improvements. Another study had both individual and group therapy and found a decrease in certain BPSDs.

Though other reviews found little evidence of it helping seniors.

Either way, there is little investment needed with this type of therapy. There is little to no negative effect, though a person’s feelings of distress can be made worse if providers aren’t properly prepared to honor and alleviate those feelings.

6. Reminiscence Therapy

This uses talking about past events and experiences with the goal of making people feel better, giving pleasure, and cognitive stimulation. The concept is that older memories are more enduring than newer ones. It can be done either as an individual session or as a group. It uses talking, photos, music, and the like to create better feelings.

There is a good amount of evidence that says this type of therapy helps with depression and agitation for a while. There isn’t enough to show long term benefits. There are no real negative effects and it needs a moderate investment.

7. Music Therapy

Music can help people with dementia in a lot of ways. It promotes well-being and increases sociability. Also, musical memory is retained longer than other memories.

It can reduce anxiety through general mind activation and certain memories will trigger. It can lower stress by creating a sense of familiarity and regularity in the environment.

People have used music therapy for an hour, 2 or 3 times a week for 10 weeks.

Reviews have shown that there is a positive effect with music therapy. It can reduce anxiety, agitation, and apathy. Investment in this type of therapy is moderate due to time and training to set everything up. There are no negative effects.

8. Pet Therapy

Pet therapy has been used for a long time to treat mental and physical health disorders and to promote socialization and emotional support, sensory stimulation, and enhance well-being. Quiet interaction with an animal can help lower blood pressure and increase the production of neurochemicals associated with relaxing and bonding.

Pet therapy in dementia usually involves dogs. It’s been tested daily for 1 to 2 times a week for 30-90 minutes for 1-12 weeks in a structured or unstructured format.

It has been shown to reduce agitation and disruptive behavior, increase social and verbal interactions and decreased passivity. It needs minimal to moderate investment depending on the costs of getting and caring for an animal.

Negative effects can include allergic reactions, hygiene concerns, or anxiety among those uncomfortable around animals.

9. Meaningful Activities

Meaningful activities are considered an important element of person-centered care and can help with BPSDs by enhancing the overall quality of life. It gives the opportunity for more social interactions, opportunities for self-expression, and self-determination. It’s important that everyone can participate no matter what their cognitive capacity.

Individualized activities have mixed findings. One review found that group activities reduced agitation levels in the short run, but there isn’t enough info for the longer term.

It’s a mixed bag on how effective it is. It can depend on the person or community. The investment depends on how much work the particular activity is.

Why These Practices Need to Be More Common

 

These practices are more person-centered instead of just giving someone pills. It gives people the socialization that they need and helps them feel more connected to the world.

You can use these practices anywhere—at home or in a community.

More studies need to happen, so everyone can see the benefits.

Read the whole study here.

5 Ways to Deal with Bullying in Assisted Living

Date: January 27, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
5 Ways to Deal with Bullying in Assisted Living

Bullying is never good. It’s supposed to be over and done with by the time we are out of school. We think we’ve escaped bullying. Bad news everyone, bullying in assisted living happens a lot.

5 Ways to Deal with Bullying in Assisted Living

Seniors Bullying Seniors?

 

The idea of an older person getting up and defending themselves is a bit of a funny one. People will often be like: “Yeah, Grandma!”

It’s a lot more complicated for people in assisted living. It’s guessed that around 10 to 20% are treated poorly by their peers. This is according to an AARP article quoting an Arizona State University gerontologist.

You can’t tell a senior to ignore bullies like you would a teenager. It can cause severe depression in seniors because socializing is a key part of their well-being. Being bullied too much as people get older could lead to suicide.

Why Does This Happen?

 

Seniors bullying others can happen for different reasons. Some may bully to try to regain control of their life or a sense of their status. There’s also bullying because of dementia or any other kind of cognitive changes.

Another reason is people dealing with any health issues. It’s not easy to watch your body fall apart because you are getting older. Imagine how easy it would be to make yourself feel better by picking on someone weaker than you?

5 Ways to Deal with Bullying in Assisted Living

 

Do you know if your senior is dealing with bullying? Could they even be the bully? Here are some tips to help out.

1. Ask the Question

Don’t be afraid to ask any potential communities if there is a bullying problem. If there is, how is it handled? What type of bullying is most common in their community? How do they encourage residents to speak up?

Your senior may not think that sort of situation will happen to them. It’s up to you to take action.

2. Watch and Listen

Do you remember how you acted when you were bullied (if you were bullied)? It was hard to speak up, hard to know if it will help or make everything worse.

The same goes for senior bullying, so pay attention.

Is your senior avoiding shared spaces? Do they refuse to go to the dining hall? Hesitate to join group activities?

Those can be signs of bullying. You should go to the director and ask about it. Good communities will have safety and security as their top priority. Though they can’t help if they don’t know.

3. Standing Up to Bullying in Real Time

If you see a resident bullying anyone during one of your visits, you should let the leaders of the community know right away.

Bullying needs to be confronted quickly so residents know they will always be protected and cared for.

If you watch to see how an episode goes, it can make it seem like bullying is okay sometimes.

4. Have Some Compassion

It’s easy to forget your compassion for both the victim and the bully. Whether your senior is a victim or a bully, try to understand that it can be hard to enter a community.

Remember bullying can be a symptom of a much bigger problem. When you find out what the real problem is, then you can stop the bullying.

5. Suggest a Support Team

It never hurts to suggest to the people in charge to create a support team. They can do this with residents with the right personality, families of residents, or other staff.

This way no one falls through the cracks.

Read more here.

Emergency Rooms are Chaos for Seniors

Date: January 27, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
New Partnership Creates First Rural Geriatric Emergency Department

Anyone who has been in an emergency room knows how chaotic it is. There always seems to not be enough beds for all the people that need help. For the elderly, it’s even worse. It’s loud and there are so many moving parts it’s scary. There’s no privacy and cots are too hard on their bodies. Emergency rooms are chaos for seniors.

Emergency Rooms are Chaos for Seniors

Emergency Rooms are Chaos for Seniors

 

Luckily, people are starting to recognize that the emergency room system needs to change. Many hospitals are making structural changes and new procedures to make things more senior friendly.

This is good because the senior population is growing fast.

Emergency rooms are good for obvious or easy to solve problems. They struggle with the bigger picture when it comes to seniors. Seniors can have odd symptoms with similar diseases or disorders and it can be hard to tell them apart.

For example, they can have nausea instead of chest pain when they are having a heart attack. They also can feel less pain and can’t tell doctors how dire the situation is.

Seniors need comprehensive screening procedures to check medications and health history. They should also aim to not have them admitted into the hospital if it can be helped. This is because it can be hard for seniors to go back to their original state after being hospitalized.

“We want to look at all their needs and problems, including medical and social problems. We need to be aware of their risk of falls, unexpected complications from patients taking multiple medications, cognitions and mental status, among other things. Is the person getting the food they need? Is their home safe from basic fall hazards?”—Sia Agha, chief medical officer at the West Health Institute in San Diego

This also means keeping this in mind when seniors show up with an acute chronic problem that has them coming back to the emergency room. That way they don’t have to come back over and over again.

New Accreditation Program

 

The American College of Emergency Physicians created an accreditation program to encourage emergency departments to have better approaches for senior patients.

These accreditations have certain requirements like having both doctors and nurses with specialized geriatric training. There’s also environmental criteria like having mobility aids and easy access to water.

So far only 22 hospital ERs have been accredited. But, the people who run the program guess that around 5,000 ERs will apply and get certification.

Read more here.

5 Tough Talks to Have With Your Aging Parents

Date: January 27, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
New Tools to Document End of Life Wishes

Having aging parents is difficult on different levels. You have to switch roles, watch your parents change, and there are certain talks to have with your aging parents. These talks will be stressful to have, but ultimately save you stress in the long run. It will also show that you respect what your parent wants.

5 Tough Talks to Have With Your Aging Parents

5 Tough Talks to Have With Your Aging Parents

 

By having these talks, it lessens the burden on you and your parents. You will no longer have to make all the decisions. Have these 5 talks as soon as you can.

1. The Financial Talk

As uncomfortable as it is, you need to know your parents’ financial situation. You need to ask them and yourself questions like: Do they have enough money to live on? Do they have enough for the future? Is there a reliable power of attorney that will handle their financial decisions when they can’t? Do they have a will?

2. The Health Care Talk

Check in on their health. Are there any conditions they have that you don’t know about? What medications do they take? Do they have a health care power of attorney?

3. The Aging Talk

You need to accept that your parents are going to get older. What happens if they need significant care? Do they want to age in their home? What other living options have they considered?

4. The End of Life Talk

What are their wishes? Do they have advance medical directives or a living will? Do they know what they want to happen to them after they pass?

5. The Family Legacy Talk

What do they want you to remember about them? What are the family stories, treasured recipes, and heirlooms to pass to future generations?

Read more here.

New Migraine Treatment for Seniors

Date: January 20, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
New Migraine Treatment for Seniors

Migraines are rough. They can derail your whole day. There’s not much you can do other than sleep or stay in the dark. While how often seniors gets migraines decreases as they age, they still can get them. So, it’s good news that there’s a new migraine treatment for seniors.

New Migraine Treatment for Seniors

New Migraine Treatment for Seniors

 

A new report talks about different medications and how they can help seniors. The report also emphasized that each treatment should be tailored for the individual.

Some of the medications used to help with migraines were not necessarily prescribed before to treat migraines. Although these drugs have been on the market it for a while, they are getting a new use as migraine treatments. Tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), B-blockers, anticonvulsants, and calcium channel blockers get recommended the most. This is based on the strength of scientific evidence and effectiveness of these medications.

For acute treatments for attacks, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), paraetamol, ergotamine, triptans, and antiemetics are suggested.

Though all these drugs being available can increase the risk of underestimated drug-drug interactions (DDIs). They also pointed out the clinical effects of drug hypersensitivity through the increased risk of adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Both can make a senior sick.

The risks have to be balanced with pre-existing illnesses. Every drug should start at a low dose until you see how a senior interacts with the drug.

Overall, more work needs to be done to know how seniors interact with drugs as they age. More studies need to be done.

Read more here.

4 Ways to Strengthen Your Core

Date: January 20, 2019
Author: Erynn
Categories: Stories & Tips
4 Ways to Strengthen Your Core

Back pain stinks. If you have some, you aren’t alone. Around 60% to 70% percent of people have it. Most people have it for one reason or another. It could be due to bones, muscles, or something else. Focusing on exercises that strengthen your core can really help with your back pain.

4 Ways to Strengthen Your Core

4 Ways to Strengthen Your Core

 

People always say that core strengthening exercises are sit ups. That’s just not the case. Sit ups can actually be the worse kind of exercise for people with back pain. Instead, you should try these.

1. Pelvic Tilt with Bracing

This exercise uses the deep core muscles in your pelvic floor and abdomen. It also moves your lumber spine through its natural range of motion.

You lie on a mat with your knees comfortably bent and feet flat on the floor. Put 2 fingertips at the top of your pelvic bones. This helps you pay attention to how your pelvis moves during the exercise.

Take a breath and breathe out hard. As you do, contract your pelvic floor and tighten the inner wall of your abdomen, like bracing for a punch. If you aren’t sure how to contract your pelvic floor, make the motion you do when you try to hold in urine.

Take a second to feel all these muscles. This is your deep core.

Take a breath and on the exhale, move the front of your pelvis towards your ribcage. Flatten your lower back a bit as you do this. On the next inhale, move your pelvis away from your ribcage. Create space between the floor and your back.

Do 5 to 10 repetitions and make sure to pay attention to your core muscles.

2. Swimmers

Working one side of the body and then the other helps strengthen the muscles near your spine. It does this without too much stress on the lumbar vertebrae.

You don’t have to go swimming to take advantage of the motions.

Lie on your stomach with your arms above your head. Keeping a neutral spine, raise your right arm and left leg a few inches at the same time. Then lower it and do the same with the other limbs. Think of how swimmers look while in the pool.

As you do this, try to make your spine longer as you reach forward with your arm and backwards with your leg. Do not rotate your hips and keep your toes pointed to the floor.

Do 20 reps, 10 on each side.

3. Bird Dog

This is similar to Swimmers but has more movement. Kneel on a mat on all fours, make sure your spine is in its neutral S curve. With this exercise, you work your deep core muscles like with the Pelvic Tilts. Slowly reach forward with your right arm and stretch your left leg out behind you. Slowly return them to the mat and repeat the process on the other side.

A special positive of this exercise is that it helps strengthen the muscles that help you balance.

Do 20 reps, 10 on each side.

4. Marching Bridge

This focuses more on the muscles in the buttocks. These are usually lax and weak from sitting all the time.

Lie on your back with knees bent 90 degrees and feet flat on the floor. Work the deep muscles in your core and move into the bridge position by lifting your butt off the floor. Make sure you keep the natural curve of your spine. Your butt muscles should be working to keep your body in a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.

Lift your left foot off the ground and straighten your left leg. Make a line all the way through your left heel. Bring in it back and then do it on the other side. Your hips need to stay square and not rotate.

Do 20 to 30 reps.

Read more here.