Esther Gockley Method: 5 Exercises for Back Pain

Back pain sooner or later begins to disturb all city dwellers. Over time, problems with the spine become a constant companion that interferes with performing one's professional duties and playing sports, moreover, this also affects the character of a person, because unpleasant sensations do not allow one to enjoy life. Surprisingly, in certain parts of the world, people do not experience such a problem as back pain. This fact was discovered by Esther Gockley, an American biochemist, reflexologist and integrative medicine specialist, who herself suffered from unbearable pain in the spine during pregnancy, which could not be overcome even by surgery. To help people around the world get rid of back pain, she has developed a special set of effective exercises, which is called the Gokley technique.

Travels of Esther Gokley: in search of people who do not know what back pain is

For 10 years, Esther Gockley traveled to different parts of the world, where people rarely suffer from back pain. The researcher observed how the inhabitants of various towns sit, walk and stand. Esther traveled to the mountains of Ecuador, to remote African villages, as well as to small fishing towns in Portugal. Once in India, she met local natives who have no idea what back pain is, moreover, age does not affect the condition of the spinal discs.

Gokley's attention was riveted on people whose backs seemed to be completely invulnerable to any overload - they don't care about long work when you need to collect something from the ground for hours and carry heavy luggage on your head.

It turned out that all of the spines of all these people have the same shape, which resembles the letter J when viewed in profile. Gokley explains that this shape is the most natural for our spine, but the spine of most people resembles the letter S. This ideal shape of the spine can only be observed in children and adolescents, and it can also be seen in Greek sculptures.

Why did our back become S-shaped? Various circumstances could contribute to this - from being overweight to a sedentary lifestyle. Esther Gokley managed to prove that changing the shape of the spine from J to S can relieve back pain and tried this technique on herself. Based on her own observations, Gokley wrote a book that helped eliminate back pain for a myriad of people around the world. Through years of hard work, she was able to develop specific exercises for back pain.

The Gockley Method: 5 Exercises for Back Pain

Back pain exercises can be done in the office at work, at home, and even while walking.

Exercise #1. Shoulder rotation

Today, the habit of sitting and walking hunched over, with arms and shoulders slightly forward, has become widespread. The natives, on the other hand, hold their hands in a completely different way.

Raise your shoulders, slowly move them back and lower them with a rotating motion. Hands should be kept loose, thumbs pointing outward. Gokley notes that this is how our ancestors walked.

Exercise #2. Spinal Lengthening

It turns out that lengthening the spine is not difficult at all. Stand up straight, take a deep breath and stretch up. As you exhale, stay at the same height. Then inhale again and stretch higher again, exhaling, keep the new height.

Exercise #3. Squeezing buttocks while walking

When walking, the natives compress the gluteal muscles. This is how they manage to form elastic buttocks that are able to support the lower back. An identical result can be achieved by squeezing the buttocks with each step.

Exercise #4. Don't lift your chin

If you try to lift your chin up, you will notice that the muscles of the neck are squeezed from behind. It is possible to eradicate such a habit with the help of a light towel, which should be worn regularly on the head. In this way, you will train to keep your chin parallel to the floor and, as a bonus, you will get a long neck.

Exercise #5 Don't Sit Upright

We've all been told to sit up straight since we were kids, but it doesn't actually improve our posture in any way. In this position, the back acquires a curve similar to an arch, which over time only negatively affects the health of the spine, causing back pain.

Esther Ghoclay recommends rotating your arms to open your chest, breathe deeper, and lengthen your spine.