One morning I woke up, I put some clothes on and picked up my son. My back snapped. The pain was O.K., but it got worse. I assumed it was something muscular, but it was not. I had a bulging disk (see illustration). It was bad --- even with pain killers --- but it got better after a few weeks.

Limp muscles

I learned later that when you have a disk problem the core muscles --- the ones that support the spinal column --- go limp. The muscles need training to prevent further injury. The physiotherapist gave me three exercises that I should do three times a week for six weeks.

Find Your Center

You're back should be "centered" in all exercises. To find your center (not chakra related) arch your back, then flex your back (see illustration), the center is when your back is in the middle.

Exercise One

Stand on all four. Extend one leg backwards, don't move your back. Alternate legs, and do 3x10 repetitions with each leg.

Exercise Two

Lay down on your elbows and knees (see illustration). Keep your back centered. Lift your knees off the floor, but don't move your back. Repeat 3x10 times.

Exercise Three

Stand in a doorway, keep you back centered. Tighten you stomach muscles. Push on the side of the wall (see illustration) with one hand, then the other. Repeat 3x10 times.

Avoiding back problems in the long run

Keep doing Exercise Two twice a week and you'll keep your core muscles fit. This will help prevent disk problems.