Squats

• Focus on doing exercises that help you gain strength in the spine but do not require a lot of room. This is especially important when exercising in the home. One of the exercises that helps build spinal strength is a deep squat. Deep squats can be done by standing so that your feet are shoulder-width apart. Squat down as far as you can until just before you need to lift your heels off of the floor. Focus on keeping your weight on the heels and off of your toes.
  
  Keep your head straight and look forward. As you go down, make sure that your back stays straight. When you have reached the point at which you are not able to go down farther, stop and stay in the position you are in for a few seconds. Then slowly begin to come back up. As you do so, remember to keep your back in a position that is straight. Keep your knees pointed outward when you stand. Do 10 repetitions of this exercise.
  
  

Extensions

• Making sure that your spine is mobile is an important part of preventing spinal cord injuries. It is particularly important for people who sit for a large part of the day to do exercises to prevent possible spinal cord injuries.
  
  Extension exercises are effective at stretching your spine so that it is better able to react to an injury. To do an extension exercise, get down on your hands and knees and make your body compact. To place yourself in a compact position, bring your knees in so that they are aligned underneath your hips. Likewise, instead of spreading your arms outward, place your hands in a vertical line under the shoulders. By having your legs and arms in this position, your spine is straight and ready to be exercised. Put your head down so that you face the floor.
  
  Use the muscles in your back to move your shoulder blades inward so that they go toward each other. As you do this, the chest will expand outward. Breathe deeply through your nose as your chest expands. As you do this, your shoulders will rotate outward. Lift your head and look toward the sky and arch your spine. Hold the position for a few seconds and relax. Do this exercise 10 times.