If you suffer from back pain, you may already know that exercise helps to strengthen the muscles of the back and can reduce your pain. However, if you are doing something wrong with your movements, it could actually increase the overall pain you find yourself in. Some exercises help to strengthen the spine and the supporting muscles, while others put them more at risk. The good thing for back pain sufferers to do is to make sure each movement you make, supports your spine and offers as little lateral movement as possible.
Opt for Low Impact Options When Suffering from Back Pain
When you are trying to do exercise to alleviate back pain, the last thing you want to do is to go out and do something that is going to hurt your back. Low impact exercises are often a lot better for all of your joints, not just your back. Instead of going out for your daily jog or run, try going out for a little longer walk. Your body will still get the benefits, but you won’t have the jarring movements hurting any part of you, like your back.
Swimming is another great option when you have back pain. A lot of people believe they need to go out and do heavy sets of weightlifting or aerobics to get stronger. This is not always the case, and for people who suffer from ailments like chronic back pain, it is unwise. Getting your heart rate up is good, but do it in a way that is not going to make you regret it when you are done. Go out for a swim a few times a week, so long as the weather stays nice. Considering the normal warm temperatures of the Denton, Texas area, that shouldn’t be too hard to do!
Perform Exercises with Support Instead of Without
One of the more common mistakes that people make is doing stretches or exercises without the proper support. This can leave your back open to additional injury. Consider opting for stretches that have your body supported instead. Think about the hamstring stretch. Instead of bending over to touch your toes, leaving your back exposed, try putting the heel of your foot on a chair. Lean down gently towards your toe and shift your pelvis forward until the stretch starts. Hold that stretch for about 30 seconds, and then do the other leg. That should not increase your back pain, and it protects your spine during the stretch.
Another stretch not commonly done with proper support is stretching the front of the thighs. Normally, you would sit on the floor with one of your legs out straight in front of you and the other bent, behind you, which is known as a hurdler’s stretch. This can hurt the knee, and puts a lot of pressure on the back. Instead, lie on your side and stretch that way. This gives extra support to your back and gives you all of the same benefits of the original, without the pain.
Alternatives to Common Exercises Can Help Reduce Back Pain
Most people still go out of their way to do crunches or straight leg lifts. Both of these can significantly increase your back pain. One curls up your spine repeatedly, and the other has the weight of an entire leg put on the small of your back. Consider doing different exercises than trying to keep these as a part of your routine. Planking is a much safer option for your back, since your spine is kept straight, and still gives you the abdominal benefits that you would get from crunches. Instead of leg lifts, which can exacerbate back pain, try starting with your legs in the air. You should be on your back, knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Your arms should be at your sides to support and stabilize your back. From there, you should bring your knees in towards your chest and get your hips up off the floor. Then you return back to the position you started in and repeat. It gives you the same benefits without the back pain!
There Are People Who Can Help with Your Back Pain
You don’t have to live with back pain, and you also don’t have to go without getting the exercise you need to stay healthy. If you know how to do the exercises right, you can do both and be happy. Back pain has the potential to derail your life, if you let it. However, if you take the care you need to, and get your back strong, it may be the cure to the back pain you have been suffering from.
