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Flexing the Spine Like a Spring (Video Links Included) | Transurfing Yourself / Appendix 2 / Back Exercises ②

2026年8月4日 18:44

I am reading and explaining the original Russian text of "Трансерфинг себя" (Transurfing Yourself / released November 2024) by Vadim Zeland. Past articles are compiled in order, starting from the introduction. If you would like to read from the beginning, please start here.

We will continue reading the second half of Appendix 2, "Back Exercises."
As before, I have included links to videos for each exercise.

Pendulum 2 (МАЯТНИК 2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuyA1MbME3Y&t=258s

Lie on your back, grab each knee with your respective hands, and pull them toward you—exhale. Return to the starting position—inhale. Continue this rocking motion back and forth. As you pull your knees in, your spine stretches, your chin lifts, and your pelvis lifts slightly off the floor. When you release, it returns to the original position. At this time, pay attention to how the space between the vertebrae is compressed and then opens up again. Repeat 30–40 times.

To ensure the hard floor does not compress your vertebrae, please use a soft mat at least 15mm thick or a resilient thin mattress, rather than a thin yoga mat.

※ As you can see in the video, the movement is not slow, but rhythmic.

the mat must be sufficiently soft and thick

Backstroke (ПЛАВАНИЕ НА СПИНЕ)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuyA1MbME3Y&t=375s

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your heels close to your buttocks. Place your feet shoulder-width apart on the floor, and use your legs to move your body back and forth to feel your spine stretching and contracting.

Now, perform the full movement. While drawing a circle with your arms from above your head toward your heels like swimming, stretch your spine—exhale. At the end of the exhale, relax and let your spine return naturally. When returning your arms above your head, stretch your spine again—inhale, and relax at the end of the inhale.

Get into a rhythm and continue the "stretch and relax" motion of the spine like a spring. Within one arm movement, move the spine in two beats of "stretch and relax." The same applies when raising your arms. In other words, while your arms move once, your spine stretches and contracts in two beats. Repeat 20–30 times, or as many as you like.

lower arms in a circular swimming motion toward the heels

Hammerhead Shark (РЫБА-МОЛОТ)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuyA1MbME3Y&t=426s

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet shoulder-width apart. Clasp your hands above your head to form a ring with your arms, and tilt your arms, head, and upper body to the left, while tilting your knees to the opposite side, the right, by about 45 degrees—exhale. Return to the center—inhale. Switch sides and alternate 30–40 times. Do not move the position of your feet. It resembles the way a hammerhead shark swims by wriggling its body.

Next, use your clasped hands to draw circles around your head (4 times each to the left and right). Your head should follow the movement of your arms, and your knees should move in the opposite direction of your arms.

arms, locked in a ring, to the right, knees to the left

Spring (ПРУЖИНА)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuyA1MbME3Y&t=478s

Lie on your back, bend your knees, and pull your heels close to your buttocks. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart and fixed on the floor. Place both palms at the base of your thighs and push—exhale. Relax your muscles without moving your hands—inhale. At this time, your spine will expand and contract like a spring. Your chin will lower as you stretch. Without straining, repeat this expansion and contraction 30 to 40 times at a steady tempo.

Why do we do this? It is to remind the intervertebral discs that they can shrink and expand, and that they are meant to act as cushions. Set an intention for them to develop and stay in good condition rather than degenerating with age. The intervertebral discs will understand that they are needed and will develop accordingly. Our bodies possess intelligence.
All of these exercises are intended to develop the spine and the muscles of the back and neck, and to keep them in good condition. This is an essential requirement for regeneration.

you give the discs an intention to develop and keep themselves in shape

Pendulum 3 (МАЯТНИК 3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuyA1MbME3Y&t=522s

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet shoulder-width apart. Clasp your hands to form a ring and place them near your thighs—inhale. Vigorously throw your arms over your head while simultaneously pulling your pelvis toward your heels—exhale. At this point, your pelvis will lift slightly off the floor. Return your arms to the starting position—inhale. Repeat 30 to 40 times.

The goal is to straighten the thoracic spine, which is prone to slouching. Focus on the sensation of the thoracic spine near the shoulder blades stretching rhythmically, and the entire spine stretching and returning to its original position. Set an intention for the thoracic spine to straighten, and train the shock-absorbing capacity of the intervertebral discs.

throw your hands in a ring backward, over your head

straighten the thoracic spine, which is in a hunched state

Neck Stretch (РАСТЯЖКА ШЕИ)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuyA1MbME3Y&t=573s

Lie on your back with your legs extended. Bend your elbows slightly and place your fingertips, spread out as if playing the piano, on the floor beside your pelvis—inhale. Extend your left arm, push your left shoulder to the right, and turn your head to the right to stretch your neck—exhale forcefully. Return to the center—inhale. Do the same for the other side. Repeat slowly, alternating sides, 20 times.

Exhale forcefully, imagining you are making a raspy sound, as if exhaling the very last breath from deep within your chest, to deepen the stretch in your neck.

exhale as if you are letting out your last breath from the depths of your chest

Bicycle (ВЕЛОСИПЕД)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuyA1MbME3Y&t=636s

Lie on your back, lift your legs, and move them as if pedaling a bicycle. You may place your hands under your buttocks for stability. Your head will naturally sway from side to side.

Do not just rotate your legs; move them rhythmically and vigorously as if throwing them forward. Exhale shortly when throwing them out, and inhale shortly when bringing them back. Your whole body will sway during this. Repeat 50 to 150 times, within a comfortable range. Once you get used to it, you will be able to do 150 to 200 times easily.

The meaning of swaying lies in activating the bone marrow (костный мозг). Stem cells are produced in the bone marrow. In other words, the regeneration of the body is accelerated.

костный мозг: bone marrow

Following the main text, "мозг" (mozg) has appeared again.
・Head mozg = brain
・Back mozg = spinal cord
・Bone mozg = bone marrow

In Japanese, these are different words, but in Russian, they all center around the word "мозг" and are distinguished by adjectives meaning "of the head," "of the back," and "of the bone."

In terms of the feel of the words, they all share the common image of being "something internal and central," which I find quite interesting from the perspective of the relationship between language and bodily sensation.

By having "костный мозг" appear in the context of "bone marrow being activated and body regeneration accelerating," I feel that the worldview Zeland speaks of, where "the entire body is a system with intelligence," resonates with the word "мозг" itself.

make movements with your legs above, as if you are pedaling a bicycle

bone marrow is activated, the regeneration of the organism will accelerate

Hanging on a pull-up bar (ВИС НА ПЕРЕКЛАДИНЕ)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuyA1MbME3Y&t=699s

After all exercises, it is good to hang from a pull-up bar to stretch the spine. Hanging while swaying is even more effective.This is to train shock absorption capacity and activate the bone marrow.

Install a wall bar or pull-up bar at a height where you can grab it while on tiptoes, and while hanging, touch your toes to the floor and sway your whole body up and down (50–100 times). Place a resilient mat on the floor.

hanging with shaking will be even more useful

Foam roller and ball (ВАЛИК И МЯЧ)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuyA1MbME3Y&t=730s

Place your back or neck on a massage foam roller for the back or a rubber ball the size of a volleyball, and use the strength of your legs to move your body up and down, rolling from the tailbone to the base of the neck. The purpose is to massage the muscles and straighten the spine.
Proceed with caution in the early stages when the body is not yet loosened up. Check the durability of the ball by applying your body weight to it beforehand.

roll the entire spine – from the tailbone to the base of the skull

massage the neck by rolling the neck on the ball from side to side

Conclusion of the program (ЗАВЕРШЕНИЕ КОМПЛЕКСА)

At the end of the daily program, it is good to perform "Pendulum 2" and "Spring" a few times each, and then perform the "Cat Stretch." I recommend performing the "Cat Stretch" at the end of every program, especially after strength-based exercises. This is to relax the muscles around the back, neck, and shoulders.

Full-body loosening exercises (РАЗМИНКА)

https://youtu.be/q4dHzE4gOhk?si=R0YBBEjoLyxp1EDQ&t=161

After (or before) this program, you may perform light loosening exercises, similar to general full-body gymnastics. These include movements such as swinging or rotating your arms, tilting your upper body forward, backward, left, and right, rotating your pelvis or upper body, and doing squats. You can then proceed to another exercise program.

РАЗМИНКА: Preparatory exercises, warm-up

The root verb is разминать, which means "to knead" or "to loosen by moving." While it generally refers to preparatory movements performed before exercise, I have translated it here as "full-body loosening exercises" since the text mentions doing it "after (or before) the exercise."

I have created a playlist of exercise videos published on the Transurfing Center's YouTube channel.

Эффективное движение по Вадиму Зеланду
Explanation of "Effective Movement" in the style of Zeland
Комплекс №1. «Базовые упражнения»
Program ① Basic Exercises
Комплекс №2. «Упражнения для спины»
Program ② Back Exercises
Комплекс №3. «Упражнения для шеи»
Program ③ Neck Exercises
Комплекс №4. «Суставная гимнастика»
Program ④ Joint Gymnastics
Комплекс №5. «Упражнения на Фитболе»
Program ⑤ Exercises using a balance ball
Комплекс №6. «Энергетическая гимнастика»
Program ⑥ Energy Gymnastics (Tibetan Rites)

Each video is about 15 to 20 minutes long. While the same movements may appear in multiple sets, each is structured according to its purpose. They are designed to form a complete exercise program when performed in order.

These videos were released in November 2024, shortly after the book was published. They include many exercises not introduced in the book. Since many movements are easier to understand by actually seeing them, please use them as a reference.

Next time, we will return to the main text and read the next section, "Weak Link (Слабое звено)."

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* English version "Transurfing Yourself" to be released in August 2026

* Japanese version "Self-Transurfing (Vol. 1 & 2)" to be released in April 2026

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