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Exercises for Back Pain

September 29, 2011 Back Pain

Help to relieve bad back pain with Exercises for Back Pain. When exercising, it’s important to remember your goals;

  • Strength. Increasing the strength in your back will improve your strength in general, making your bones healthier and improving your posture.
  • Flexibility. Increasing your flexibility will enable you to stretch and nurture your back, improving your movements and decreasing the pain.
  • Balance. You need to exercise all areas of your body in order to support your back and gain strong, flexible muscles.
  • Power. When you exercise your back, your muscles will be training and you will have the endurance to sit, walk and exercise with more ease and for longer amounts of time.
  • Weight. Having weight on your belly causes extra strain on your back. It’s important to maintain a healthy body weight to reduce chronic back problems.

Doing something that you enjoy is vital, that way you can include it into your daily schedule. The key to successful exercises for back pain is quality, not quantity. Start slowly and develop your techniques gradually over time. And make sure you do little and often rather than a lot in one go, as this may be counterproductive.

Swimming is a great exercise for back pain sufferers. The water supports your body without causing unwanted stress on your muscles. To make the most of strengthening and supporting your spine, be aware of rotating your head, flip-turning and the breaststroke as overextension can have an adverse effect on your neck and back.

Aqua-aerobics is a fun, interactive way of exercising your back. The buoyancy of the water allows you to move easily without adding unwanted strain on your joints. This floatability makes aqua-aerobics an ideal starter exercise for those with bad backs.

Walking is the easiest, not to mention free, way to exercise a bad back. Perfect for people of all ages and levels of fitness, walking is simply a breath of fresh air!

Stretches in the comfort of your own home can provide excellent exercise for strengthening your back.

  • Wall Slides. Standing with your back against the wall, feet apart. Slide down the wall into a sitting position, knees bent, to the count of five, then return to standing. Repeat 5 times.
  • Back Leg Swing. Whilst standing, hold on to the back of a chair. Keeping your left leg straight, swing it back and up, slowly. Alternate between legs. Repeat 5 times.
  • Knee to Chest. Lay on the floor on your back, knees bent. Bring one knee to your chest using both hands to help you, pulling as close as possible. Slowly, lower knee back to the starting position. Repeat 5 times with each leg.
  • Leg Raises. Lying on your back with your arms at the side, lift one leg off the floor, and count to 10 (adjust time if this is proving difficult, and work your way up to 10). Slowly,return to the floor. Repeat 5 times with each leg.

Sadly, there is no quick fix to solving back pain. However, with patience and perseverance you can start living your life to the fullest! Don’t let back pain stop you, pick an exercise today and start your recovery!



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