Back pain is a common condition that, unfortunately, many people suffer from.
In fact, according to The Lancet (a regularly reviewed medical journal), 619 million people worldwide struggle with back pain. Almost everyone will experience back pain at some point in their lives. And many factors can contribute to it: poor posture, stress and tension, a pinched nerve, etc. However, one of the primary causes of back pain is a lack of physical activity.
The good news is that the right exercise for back pain can alleviate it—or, even better—prevent it from happening in the first place. With that in mind, you may be asking yourself, “What are the right exercises for back pain?” Keep reading to find out.
Understanding the Importance of Back Health
Your back is the foundation of your body’s structural support. It helps to maintain your posture, whether you’re sitting still or moving around. As a result, it plays a crucial role in keeping your body’s core stable and intact throughout everyday life. Yet, there seems to be an avoidance among people of monitoring their back health.
Trivial tasks like walking up a flight of stairs or sweeping your kitchen floor would become huge burdens without the structural integrity of your back. For this reason, you should prioritize your back health, whether you’re injured or not.
Benefits of Strengthening and Stretching the Back
Luckily, finding an exercise for back pain is not difficult. In fact, there are many different movements that can help strengthen your back pain and reduce pain. And we’ll get to those in a moment, but first, let’s explore some of the benefits of strengthening and stretching your back.
- More spinal support
- Reduction in strains, sprains, and injuries
- Alleviation of back pain
- Strengthens weak back muscles
- Stabilizes spinal joints
- Properly align your vertebrae
A consistent stretching and strengthening routine can help alleviate muscle tension by strengthening your back muscles. As a result, you’ll be less prone to injuries and more nimble and agile in your everyday movements.
Types of Exercises for Back Pain
Struggling with back pain can hinder your quality of life. It can limit your range of motion, impact your sleep, and prevent you from engaging in hobbies and activities that bring you joy. For this reason, we’ve compiled a list of the best exercises for back pain to help you start enjoying life again. Be sure to use these exercises at your own pace and comfort level.
Recovery can be a slow and steady process. That’s okay. Take measured and consistent steps with these back-strengthening routine suggestions until you feel ready to do more.
Strengthening Exercises
Strengthening exercises for back pain can help stabilize your spine while supporting your upper body. This makes strength exercises an effective “hack” for alleviating chronic back pain and creating a more balanced and stable body. Here are a few easy strengthening exercises to consider:
Plank
Planks are an excellent way to strengthen your core and relieve back pain. In fact, according to HealthCentral, planks are an effective exercise for back pain because of their spinal stabilization advantages. This exercise strengthens the abdominal while also engaging your feet, arms, hip flexors, and shoulders. As a result, it’s a full-body workout with numerous health benefits.
Glute bridge
The glute bridge trains your gluteus maximus. This muscle is activated when you extend your hips (like when you stand up after a squat). Moreover, it can help with external rotation (when the hip and knee become opened away from your body) and abduction (when your leg lifts away from the body). A 2019 study revealed a link between back pain and a weak gluteus maximus. Strengthening this muscle group could help prevent the symptoms associated with back pain.
Bird-dog
The bird-dog exercise trains the back extensor muscles. This muscle group is attached to your spine and allows you to stand up, bend over, and lift items, objects, etc. To do the bird-dog, begin on your hands and knees; keep your hips over your knees and your shoulders over your hands. Flex your abdominal muscles as you stretch your right arm directly out in front of you.
Next, simply hold the position as you keep your balance. Then, slowly lift your left leg, extending it out directly behind you. Hold this position for ten seconds before slowly returning to the starting position. Repeat for the other side.
Stretching Techniques
Stretching techniques can increase mobility, range of motion, and overall performance. But more than that, they are also—if done regularly—a great exercise for back pain. Here are a few stretching techniques for you to consider.
Rotational stretch
Rotational stretching is an often underused exercise for back pain. Lie down on your back while bending your knees and keeping your feet flat on the floor. Next, ensure your shoulders are also flat on the floor, slowly rolling each of your knees (while keeping them bent) to one side. Hold that position for ten seconds. Then, return to the starting position and repeat for the other side. Do each stretch three times. At a minimum, practice the routine in the morning and once again in the evening.
Glute Stretch
Lie down on your back while bending your knees and keeping your feet on the floor. Use both of your hands to pull one knee up, pressing it into your chest. Ensure you tighten your belly muscles while pressing your spine into the floor. Hold the position for about five seconds. Then, return to the starting position and repeat the movement using the other leg.
Bridge Hold exercise
Again, lie down on your back while keeping your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Ensure your head and shoulders are relaxed on the floor as you tighten your belly and buttocks muscles. Then, elevate your hips. You want to create a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Then, do your best to stay in that position long enough for three deep breaths. Once you take your breaths, return to the starting position and repeat.
How Movement Alleviates Back Pain
Whether it’s a ligament injury, bulging disk, or arthritis, physical impediments can compromise the integrity of your spinal structure. As a result, a complete exercise program tailored to your needs is critical to alleviating back pain and restoring functionality. A personalized workout can provide the proper exercises to release the physical obstructions causing back pain.
The best part? Our team at Future Fitness Training has the expertise and experience to identify your back pain issues and determine the ideal workout plan. With our certified trainers guiding you through proven workouts, you won’t have to fret over the details or overthink things.
Guidelines for Exercising with Back Pain
When back pain rears its ugly head in your life, it can feel like your performance is compromised. But all you need to do is follow a few simple guidelines to ensure you’re training safely and don’t risk further injury. Here are a few methods to help you continue training despite back pain.
Identifying Suitable Exercises
The most important step is determining what exercises you can and can’t perform. This is where having a personal trainer can be helpful. Your trainer will make suggestions and recommendations regarding what exercises are appropriate, given your condition and the degree of pain associated with your back injury.
Listening to Your Body
Your back may feel fine during the initial reps of a particular exercise. However, if that changes by way of uncomfortable pain, listen to these warning signals. Too much pain can indicate that the exercise in question is too much for your body to handle at this point. You may need to dial back the intensity so that you don’t aggravate the back pain and risk worsening the injury.
Modifying Exercises for Comfort
Piggybacking off of the last point: Too much pain doesn’t necessarily mean you should stop with a specific type of exercise. Sometimes, that may be the case; however, other times, you may just need to modify what you’re doing to accommodate the injury. At Future Fitness Training, we help guide and support you through this process.
Lifestyle Choices That Support Back Health
Protecting your spinal health comes down to the activity and lifestyle choices you make in your daily life. A sedentary lifestyle, for example, can contribute to bad posture and poor back health. Conversely, performing common exercises such as basic stretches combined with a light exercise program can be game changers for your back health. Here are some simple lifestyle tips to help support and alleviate back pain.
- Stay active: Regular exercise helps you maintain a healthy weight and increases the muscle strength required for optimum spinal support. These workouts can include weight training, running, light stretching, etc. By maintaining a healthy body through physical activity, you’ll reduce back pain and increase your chances of hitting your fitness goals!
- Prioritize good posture: Many of us spend our days hunched over, with our necks and shoulders drooping downward. This posture can compress blood vessels and nerves in your back, causing joint pain, muscle aches, and even disc herniation. Strong posture can counteract back pain and assist with developing balance and flexibility in the body. So, do your best to prioritize good posture throughout the day as often as possible.
- Use proper form: Doing the right exercise for back pain is one thing; doing it with the proper form is another. Improper technique while exercising can cause muscle strains, spinal cord problems, and other easily preventable injuries. When you begin practicing proper form, regardless of the combination of exercises you’re performing, you’ll enjoy increased mobility, better joint support, and many other additional benefits.
One of the most common reasons people experience back pain is because of poor lifestyle choices. Your daily routine should involve being active (even if it’s light activities) to ensure your body retains strength and stability.
Book Your Free Fitness Assessment Today
Back health is essential to overall health. However, given your current physical condition and health goals, it can be challenging to determine what exercises best suit you. At Future Fitness Training, we are a team of certified personal trainers who can guide you through your fitness journey.
We can help you develop a personalized workout program tailored to your needs and goals. So, if you’re ready to build a better body for tomorrow, contact us today to book a free fitness assessment.
