Replied By Gary (Mesa, AZ) on 05/09/2008
You would lie on the arm of sofa with your stomach. Legs on couch and head off. Use your arms like a pushup to help straighten your body. Your legs may want to raise up but you`ll have to secure them somehow.
In the exercise, I use my arms to help me straighten myself almost like a push up. Most people will not be able to do it without using their arms. I guess what's important is to use back muscles without straining them of course. Also, I just want to tell people with depression to go to a chiropractor,therapist or qualified trainer. This gets dismissed because they don't have back pain. Spend $30. It could be the answer. It's well worth it. Hope this helps.
Replied By Kayla (Nashville, Tn) on 04/27/2012
There is a much much much easier way to do this "couch exercise! " Just use a small blanket or towel and bunch it up into a tight ball. It should be about the size of a medium watermelon when it is all bunched up. Put the bunched up towel/blanket on the floor and lay tummy down with your stomach on top of it. It will be uncomfortable at first but shouldn't hurt. Then, wiggle your hips from side to side slowly for 2-5 minutes. You can experiment with having the towel/blanket higher on your stomach or lower. The way it was explained to me this process releases serotonin from your gut while also giving your insides a massage. Some find it helps with digestive issues or even menstrual difficulties in addition to mood/depression/anxiety issues.