Superman Into Shape

Quick Win

A flying pose can help increase strength and stability to help prevent back pain and keep you mobile.

Try This Today

1. Lie down on your stomach, then raise both your arms and legs at the same time, as though you are a flying superhero.
2. Hold for two to five seconds. If this is too much, lift one arm and its opposite leg at a time, and hold. Lift your limbs only as far as feels comfortable.
3. Bring your arms and legs back to the floor, and rest momentarily. Repeat five times.

Why

Lower-back pain is a common, debilitating condition. Among U.S. adults 45 and older, more than 44 percent reported having back pain in the previous months, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Superman pose may help increase mobility and physical function, and it can ease back pain by strengthening the lower back. In a study of 21 young men reported in 2021 in the International Journal of Exercise Science, researchers found the Superman pose was an effective exercise for strengthening the deep muscle in the lower back that helps stabilize the core.