ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS: SCHEDULE OF DAILY EXERCISES

1. Standing with your heels and seat against a wall, keeping your chin in, push your head back towards the wall and keep it back for a count of 5, then relax. Repeat 10 times.
2. Sit on a firm chair, put your right hand across your chest and hold the side of the chair. Stretch your left arm out in front of you and then twist to the left, taking the arm horizontally as far behind you as possible, turning your head to look over the left shoulder. Hold this position, then push and turn a little further, hold that position and then return to facing forward. Repeat 3 times with each arm.
3. Sit with your shoulders relaxed and chin drawn in looking straight ahead. Bend your head sideways to bring your right ear towards your right shoulder, hold it there, make sure your shoulder muscles are still relaxed and bend a bit further, then return to an upright position (as you bend to the side, keep the profile of your nose in the same place, to make sure you do not turn your head). Repeat to each side twice.
4. Now tip your head back, looking up the wall and along the ceiling, and return to an upright position. Repeat. Change to tipping your head forward as far as possible, to get your chin touching your neck, and back to the upright position with chin pulled in. Repeat.
   (a) Lying on your back, knees bent, feet flat on the ground. Put your hands on your ribs at the sides of chest. Breathe in deeply through your nose and out through your mouth, pushing your ribs out against your hands as you breathe in. Repeat 10 times (remember it is as important to breathe out fully as it is to breathe in deeply).
   (b) Put your hands on the upper part of the front of your chest. Breathe in deeply through your nose and then breathe out as far as you can through your mouth. Push your ribs up against your hands as you breathe in. Repeat 10 times.
5. Still lying on your back with knees bent up, lift up your hips, so your bottom is off the floor and there is a straight line from shoulder to knees, hold it there for a count of 5, and lower. Repeat 5 times.
6. Still on your back, with knees bent up and feet on the floor, lift your arms to rest out on the floor sideways at shoulder level. Keeping both knees together, twist them to the right, trying to get the outside of your right thigh nearer the ground. Repeat to the left. Repeat 9 times.
7. Lying on your front, head turned to one side, hands by your sides (if necessary, you may put a pillow under your chest, but not your waist, in order to get comfortable).
8. (a) Raise one leg off the ground, keeping your knee straight, making sure your thigh comes off the ground. Repeat 5 times each leg.
   (b) Raise your head and shoulders off the ground as high as you can. Repeat 10 times.
9. Kneeling on the floor on all fours, stretch the opposite arm and leg out parallel with the floor and hold for a count of 10. Lower and the repeat with other arm and leg. Repeat 5 times each side.
10. Still on all fours, arch your back and bend your neck downwards so that you are looking at the front of your thighs. Then brace your arms so that you do not bend at the elbows, raise your head and flatten or hollow your back (with the front of your ribs down and bottom up). Repeat slowly and thoroughly 9 times.

General

1. Lie flat on a firm surface for about 20 minutes every morning or evening.
2. Repeat your deep breathing exercises at frequent intervals during the day.
3. Beware of your posture - correct it constantly, not only during your exercise periods but during the day whilst standing, sitting and walking.
4. Do some of your exercises every day.