Back Pain Sufferers: Are You Doing The Wrong Exercises?
Are you suffering from back pain? If so, you’re not alone. It’s estimated over 40% of adults, both male and female, will experience back discomfort during their lifetime. Primarily, adults experience lower back pain, which is difficult to diagnose and treat. Worse, the cause of back pain is extremely hard to pin down.
You’ve probably heard of or even tried certain exercises to minimize your pain. Medical research agrees that when done correctly, proper exercises can ease your back pain. It’s very important to understand that while certain exercise movements can provide relief, if they’re performed incorrectly you can easily injure or worsen your back. Let’s take a look at the exercises you should - and shouldn’t - focus on to ease your lower back pain.
Three Exercise Movements That Help Reduce Lower Back Pain
1. Swimming: Swimming is one of the best exercises to help loosen and stretch your lower back. Further, swimming is an excellent cardio workout with no impact, pounding, or bouncing. Start slowly with just a few laps, and work your way up to 20 laps. Not only is swimming good for your back, it’s one of the best workouts for your heart and lungs.
2. Partial Curl: This exercise is fantastic for your back and your abs, and it’s simple to perform. Lie on the floor or a mat with your knees bent and your feet completely on the floor. Now, push your lower back into the floor and curl up, with your arms stretched in front of you, until your shoulders are off the ground. Hold for five seconds and release. Try doing 3 sets of 10. The partial curl will tighten your core muscles, strengthen your lower back, and help flatten your abs.
3. Hamstring/Lower Back Stretch: This one is also easy to do. Lie on the floor with your left leg flat and your right leg bent at the knee. Now, lift your right leg and straighten it, locking your fingers behind your thigh (or calf if you’re more flexible). Hold for 10 seconds and repeat with the left leg. You’ll feel the stretch in your hamstring and lower back. For an advanced stretch, lift both legs straight up and hold the back of each leg, one hand on each leg. This stretch will really loosen your back, but be careful to start slowly and gently and work your way up as your back is gradually stretched.
No - Don’t Do These Three Exercises
1. Sit Ups With Legs Straight: Watching someone doing sit ups with their legs straight at the health club makes me cringe. Doing sit ups with legs straight is just about the worst thing to do to your lower back, short of improperly lifting a heavy object. The partial curl, as described above, is so much more effective for your abs, and much safer.
2. Hip Or Oblique Twists: This is another exercise seen far too often. Herky jerky twisting of the core and spine does nothing good for you and only increases the odds of injuring your back.
3. Running Outdoors On Concrete: If you’re a runner, it’s probably difficult for you to avoid running on concrete. But if you’ve got back problems, be aware that running on concrete gives your back a real pounding. Try running indoors on a high quality treadmill, or at least on asphalt if you run outside. Asphalt has a bit more give and isn’t as tough on your back, knees, and ankles.
Remember, stretching and low impact cardio exercises are the best way to keep your back in tip top shape and pain free. Avoid high impact exercise, as well as any exercise that isolates and puts undue strain on your back. A little preventive maintenance and common sense goes a long way!
About the Author:
If you suffer from lower back pain, there are specific strategies you can use, on your own, to eliminate your pain. For more information, recommendations, and simple strategies to resolve your back problems, be sure to visit our site dedicated to eliminating lower back pain.
Tags: Exercise
