Apparatus and methods for physical therapy and athletic conditioning

Abstract

The present invention provides methods of exercising utilizing the alignment and/or coordination of body parts. A method of exercising includes positioning a human body, having a spine and a pelvis, in a neutral spine suspended prone position. When the spine is placed in the neutral spine position, a natural curvature of the spine is aligned along an imaginary baseline extending lengthwise down the human body with an upper portion, a middle portion, and a lower portion of the spine positioned proximate the baseline. A first curvature portion and a second curvature portion of the spine naturally curves away from the baseline. The neutral spine position is held by contracting at least the transversus abdominus. These and other exercises may be recalled from a storage medium containing video images of a human subject performing exercises in accordance with the described invention.

1 . A method of exercising comprising: 
 positioning a human body, having a spine and a pelvis, in a neutral spine suspended prone position, wherein when the spine is placed in the neutral spine position, a natural curvature of the spine is aligned along an imaginary baseline extending lengthwise down the human body with an upper portion, a middle portion, and a lower portion of the spine positioned proximate the baseline and a first curvature portion and a second curvature portion of the spine naturally curving away from the baseline; and    holding the neutral spine position by contracting at least the transversus abdominus.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 moving at least a portion of the spine from the neutral spine position in a direction about the baseline.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein moving at least a portion of the spine from the neutral spine position in a direction about the baseline further comprises: 
 moving the spine from the neutral spine position into a spinal extension position with the remainder of the body positioned in substantially the suspended prone position, wherein, in the spinal extension position, a substantial portion of the spine is positioned below the imaginary baseline; and    returning the spine to the neutral spine position, wherein, once returned, the body and the spine are in the neutral spine suspended prone position.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 rotating the pelvis through an angle of approximately 0 to 45 degrees, wherein an imaginary centerline that is substantially perpendicular to the baseline defines an axis of rotation.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein moving at least a portion of the spine from the neutral spine position in a direction about the baseline further comprises: 
 moving the spine from the neutral spine position into a spinal flexion position with the remainder of the body positioned in substantially the suspended prone position, wherein, in the spinal flexion position, a substantial portion of the spine is positioned above the imaginary baseline; and    returning the spine to the neutral spine position, wherein, once returned, the body and the spine are in the neutral spine suspended prone position.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 rotating the pelvis through an angle of approximately 0 to 45 degrees, wherein an imaginary centerline that is substantially perpendicular to the baseline defines an axis of rotation.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the human body includes at least one elbow, at least one foot, and at least one hip, and positioning the body in the neutral spine suspended prone position includes: 
 positioning the at least one elbow on a first surface, wherein the at least one elbow is flexed at an angle of approximately 90 degrees; and    positioning the at least one foot on a second surface, wherein the at least one hip is extended to a neutral position.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the first surface and the second surface is an unstable surface, and positioning the body in the neutral spine suspended prone position includes using core muscles to hold the at least one unstable surface stationary.  
   
   
       9 . A media storage device for storing video images that when displayed include a human subject performing exercises comprising: 
 positioning a human body, having a spine and a pelvis, in a neutral spine suspended prone position, wherein when the spine is placed in the neutral spine position a natural curvature of the spine is aligned with an imaginary baseline extending lengthwise down the human body with an upper portion, a middle portion, and a lower portion of the spine positioned proximate the baseline and a first curvature portion and a second curvature portion of the spine naturally curves away from the baseline; and    holding the neutral spine position by contracting at least the transversus abdominus.    
   
   
       10 . The media storage device of  claim 9 , wherein the stored images of the human subject further comprise the at least one human subject performing exercises including: 
 moving at least a portion of the spine from the neutral spine position in a direction about the baseline.    
   
   
       11 . The media storage device of  claim 10 , wherein the stored images of the human subject that include moving at least a portion of the spine from the neutral spine position in a direction about the baseline further comprise: 
 moving the spine from the neutral spine position into a spinal extension position with the remainder of the body positioned in substantially the suspended prone position, wherein, in the spinal extension position, a substantial portion of the spine is positioned below the imaginary baseline; and    returning the spine to the neutral spine position, wherein, once returned, the body and the spine are in the neutral spine suspended prone position.    
   
   
       12 . The media storage device of  claim 11 , wherein the stored images of the human subject further comprise the at least one human subject performing exercises including: 
 rotating the pelvis through an angle of approximately 0 to 45 degrees, wherein an imaginary centerline that is substantially perpendicular to the baseline defines the axis of rotation.    
   
   
       13 . The media storage device of  claim 10 , wherein the stored images of the human subject that include moving at least a portion of the spine from the neutral spine position in a direction about the baseline further comprise: 
 moving the spine from the neutral spine position into a spinal flexion position with the remainder of the body positioned in substantially the suspended prone position, wherein, in the spinal extension position, a substantial portion of the spine is positioned above the imaginary baseline; and    returning the spine to the neutral spine position, wherein, once returned, the body and the spine are in the neutral spine suspended prone position.    
   
   
       14 . The media storage device of  claim 13 , wherein the stored images of the human subject further comprise the at least one human subject performing exercises including: 
 rotating the pelvis through an angle of approximately 0 to 45 degrees, wherein an imaginary centerline that is substantially perpendicular to the baseline defines the axis of rotation.    
   
   
       15 . A method of exercising comprising: 
 positioning a human body, having a spine, in a neutral spine suspended prone position, wherein, when the spine is placed in the neutral spine position, a natural curvature of the spine is aligned along an imaginary baseline extending lengthwise down the human body with an upper portion, a middle portion, and a lower portion of the spine positioned proximate the baseline and a first curvature portion and a second curvature portion of the spine naturally curves away from the baseline;    moving at least a portion of the spine from the neutral spine position so that the spine is laterally flexed in a direction away from the baseline.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 moving the spine from the neutral spine position into a spinal extension position with the remainder of the body positioned in substantially the suspended prone position, wherein, in the spinal extension position, a substantial portion of the spine is positioned below the imaginary baseline; and    returning the spine to the neutral spine position, wherein, once returned, the body and the spine are in the neutral spine suspended prone position.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising: 
 moving the spine from the neutral spine position into a spinal flexion position with the remainder of the body positioned in substantially the suspended prone position, wherein, in the spinal extension position, a substantial portion of the spine is positioned above the imaginary baseline; and    returning the spine to the neutral spine position, wherein, once returned, the body and the spine are in the neutral spine suspended prone position.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the human body includes at least one elbow, at least one foot, and at least one hip, and positioning the body in the neutral spine suspended prone position includes: 
 positioning the at least one elbow on a first surface, wherein the at least one elbow is flexed at an angle of approximately 90 degrees; and    positioning the at least one foot on a second surface, wherein the at least one hip is extended to a neutral position.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein at least one of the first surface and the second surface is an unstable surface, and positioning the body in the neutral spine suspended prone position includes using core muscles to hold the at least one unstable surface stationary.  
   
   
       20 . A method of exercising comprising: 
 positioning a human body, having a spine, a pelvis, at least one knee, at least one foot, and a neck, in a neutral spine suspended prone position, wherein, when the spine is placed in the neutral spine position, a natural curvature of the spine is aligned along an imaginary baseline extending lengthwise down the human body with an upper portion, a middle portion, and a lower portion of the spine positioned proximate the baseline and a first curvature portion and a second curvature portion of the spine naturally curves away from the baseline, and the neutral spine suspended prone position includes: 
 positioning the at least one elbow on a first surface, wherein the at least one elbow is flexed at an angle of approximately 90 degrees; and  
 positioning the at least one foot on a second surface, wherein the second surface is unstable and is movably operable along a substantially straight line to be brought into and out of proximity with the first surface; moving from the neutral spine suspended prone position to a ball up position, wherein  
 in the ball up position the spine is flexed by drawing the at least one knee up toward the neck and underneath the body.  
   
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising: 
 moving from the ball-up position to the neutral spine suspended prone position.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20 , further comprising: 
 prior to moving to the ball-up position, rotating the pelvis through an angle of approximately 0 to 45 degrees, wherein an imaginary centerline that is substantially perpendicular to the baseline defines the axis of rotation.    
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising: 
 moving from the ball-up position to the neutral spine suspended prone position, while maintaining the angle of pelvic rotation.    
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 23 , further comprising: 
 repeatedly moving between the neutral spine suspended prone position and the ball-up position, while alternating a direction of pelvic rotation between the repetitions.    
   
   
       25 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the first surface is an unstable surface, and positioning the body in the neutral spine suspended prone position includes using core muscles to hold the first and second unstable surfaces stationary.