Back Pain Exercises-Fitness and Health

Back pain exercises can help many people with back pain achieve significant results.  Back pain affects the ability of people to work, and around the world, is a common cause of absence. Evidence of back pain can be debilitating and frustrating if not treated.

The areas of the body most affected are low back pain in the waist, lower lumbar back pain, or pain from the neck down.

There are many factors that contribute to the development of back pain:

Spinal aging, degenerative discs, osteoporosis, arthritis, skeletal conditions due to degenerative changes in the spine. Low back pain generally starts around age 30 and women are at greater risk due to the effects of menopause.

If you are a business that requires you to handle heavy objects, do bending and lifting such as at a construction site, and you are not doing any back pain exercises to relieve yourself, you are at high risk of developing severe pain in the back.

Other factors causing pain to radiate to your back can stem from certain infections in the kidneys, bones, and inflammation of key organs. Poor posture, obesity, pregnancy, smoking, minor fractures, scoliosis and skeletal deformities, stress and depression, may all cause acute or chronic low back pain.

Some important things to consider in managing your back pain are:

Consult health care providers or physical therapists prior to taking on an exercise program. Perform regular exercises to strengthen the back muscles to alleviate back pain. Stick to a fixed program. Avoid activities such as bending, sitting or standing more than 30 minutes which may increase your pain.

Bouts of severe pain in the back may require you to take non-prescription pain relievers and muscle relaxants. Go to the gym and work with a fitness trainer who is trained properly and can give you the correct exercise program. Cardio exercises such as swimming and brisk walking that do not put pressure on your back are helpful. Spinal muscular spasms usually cause back pain as a result of underlying conditions.

It is important to strengthen the abdomen, spine, and hip and thigh muscles to alleviate lower back pain. Perform stretching to relieve muscle stiffness.

Recommended exercises

Crunches -

Lie with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Cross arms over your chest or put hands behind your neck. Tighten stomach muscles and raise your shoulders off the floor. Breathe out as you raise your shoulders. Don’t lead with your elbows or use arms to pull your neck off the floor. Hold for a second, then slowly lower back down. Repeat 8 to 12 times.

Hamstring Stretches -

Lie on your back and bend one knee. Loop a towel under the ball of your foot. Straighten your knee and slowly pull back on the towel. You should feel a gentle stretch down the back of your leg. Hold for at least 15 to 30 seconds. Do 2 to 4 times for each leg.

Wall Sits -

Stand 10 to 12 inches from the wall, then lean back until your back is flat against the wall. Slowly slide down until your knees are slightly bent, pressing your lower back into the wall. Hold for a count of 10, then carefully slide back up the wall. Repeat 8 to 12 times.

Press-up Back Extensions -

Lie on your stomach with your hands under your shoulders. Push with your hands so your shoulders begin to lift off the floor. If it’s comfortable for you, put your elbows on the floor directly under your shoulders and hold this position for several seconds.

Bird Dog -

Start on your hands and knees, and tighten your stomach muscles. Lift and extend one leg behind you. Keep hips level. Hold for 5 seconds, and then switch to the other leg. Repeat 8 to 12 times for each leg, and try to lengthen the time you hold each lift. Try lifting and extending your opposite arm for each repetition.

Knee To Chest -

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Bring one knee to your chest, keeping the other foot flat on the floor. Keep your lower back pressed to the floor, and hold for 15 to 30 seconds. Then lower your knee and repeat with the other leg. Do this 2 to 4 times for each leg.

Pelvic Tilts -

Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat on floor. Tighten your stomach by pulling in and imagining your belly button moving toward your spine. You’ll feel your back pressing into the floor, and your hips and pelvis rocking back. Hold for 10 seconds while breathing in and out smoothly. Repeat 8 to 12 times.

Bridging -

Lie on your back with knees bent and just your heels on the floor. Push your heels into the floor, squeeze your buttocks, and lift your hips off the floor until shoulders, hips, and knees are in a straight line. Hold about 6 seconds, and then slowly lower hips to the floor and rest for 10 seconds. Repeat 8 to 12 times.

Lift Weights -

Done properly, lifting weights doesn’t usually hurt your back. In fact, it may help relieve chronic back pain. But when you have acute (sudden) back pain, putting extra stress on back muscles and ligaments could raise risk of further injury. Ask your doctor whether you should lift weights, and which exercises to avoid.

Aerobic Exercise -

Aerobic exercise strengthens your lungs, heart, and blood vessels and can help you lose weight. Walking, swimming, and biking may all help reduce back pain. Start with short sessions and build up over time. If your back is hurting, try swimming, where the water supports your body. Avoid any strokes that twist your body.

Pilates Moves -

Pilates combines stretching, strengthening, and core abdominal exercises. Under the instruction of an experienced teacher, it may help some people with back pain. Be sure to tell your teacher about your back pain, because you may need to skip some moves. A free DVD copy of Pilates is available for you by Clicking Here.

Exercises To Avoid

Leg Lifts -

Leg lifts are sometimes suggested as an exercise to “strengthen your core” or abdominal muscles. But lifting both legs together while lying on your back can make back pain worse. Instead, try lying on your back with your right leg straight and left leg bent at the knee. Slowly lift right leg up about 6 inches and hold briefly. Lower leg slowly. Repeat 10 times, then switch legs.

Sit Ups -

Although you might think sit-ups can strengthen your core or abdominal muscles, most people tend to use muscles in the hips when doing sit-ups. Sit-ups may also put a lot of pressure on the discs in your spine.

Toe Touches -

Exercise is good for low back pain — but not all exercises are beneficial. Some may aggravate pain. Standing toe touches, for example, put greater stress on the disks and ligaments in your spine. They can also overstretch lower back muscles and hamstrings.

Correct Your Own Back Troubles

In addition to the above exercises, you may want to check out Backpain Goodbye, an easy self-help program for back pain, sciatica, and bulging disk relief. It was developed by Robert Feddes, a former back pain sufferer, and provides excellent insights into understanding your back pain mechanics, as well as exercises and action items that can help relieve or even rid of your back pain.