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Low back comfort through exercise? You'd better believe it!
Copyright © 2008 by Evamarie Pilipuf / The Flexibility Coach, LLC
Chances are, this headline caught your attention, and is the reason you’ve begun reading this. And chances are, it’s because either you or someone you know – a loved one, perhaps, has struggled with low back pain or discomfort. Well keep reading, because a strong and healthy back is much more in your control than you think!
Most of us, 8 out of 10 of us, if you’re to believe some statistics, will experience some issue with our backs at some point in our life. Not an encouraging number, but a far more encouraging fact is that many low back problems can be thwarted or even eliminated with proper exercise and flexibility training. Granted, there are those problems that go beyond mere muscles, ligaments and tendons – a slipped disk or deteriorating disk disease, for example. But even among those more complex conditions, the right exercises and stretches can go far in minimizing symptoms and avoiding further problems. The key is in knowing which ones to choose and how to perform them.
Of course, as with any physical condition, the first step towards such preventative intervention should be a check with your doctor to ensure it is safe to exercise, and to find out if there are any types of movement that should be avoided or even emphasized. Assuming you have a full green light, however, the following primer can set you on a course for lifelong low back mobility and comfort, enabling you to remain active in anything you desire to do!
Ingredient One: Strengthen the Erector Spinae (and Friends)
That’s a fancy way to say, “Strengthen the primary and secondary muscles in the low back.” In most cases where there are issues in the muscles of the back, these are at the heart of the problem. These muscles, which aren’t very large to begin with, tend to be overstretched and underused; think of the shape of your low back when you sit in your car and you’ll have a good visual of this. By activating and strengthening these muscles, we begin to reverse this effect, helping to restore a sense of balance and endurance to our low back area. Rather than use a
heavy amount of added weight (such as dumbbells or a machine at the fitness center) to strengthen these muscles, we instead use our own body weight as the source of resistance, keeping the movement low in overall intensity yet high on effectiveness.
Ingredient Two: Strengthen All Three Abdominal Muscles
We have three main sets of abdominal muscles, the most important of the three being the least glamorous of them: the transverse abdominus, which is located deep inside the abdomen and provides a girdle-like support to the entire trunk. Other abdominal muscles include the rectus abdominus and the oblques, though other minor examples exist and need strengthening as well. By strengthening these muscles, we provide support to the “front” side of the spine, ensuring strength on all sides of the back.
Ingredient Three: Stretch the Hips, Hip Flexors, Hamstrings, Low back and Chest
While the low back tends to be overstretched by virtue of our everyday movements and positions, they still need to be stretched in other ways to ensure full mobility and range of motion. But more over, it’s critical to stretch the muscles surrounding the back, because tightness in any of these places, which is quite common, will heavily influence the way you move throughout the day, ultimately putting added pressure on the low back.
Ingredient Four: Move the Body in All Three Planes
Most of our everyday movements take place in the sagittal plane, meaning we move our body forward and back. Think walking, bending, working on the computer, driving. We rarely move in either the frontal plane – meaning, side to side tilts, or the transverse plane, or twisting. For this reason, our muscles are not as accustomed to these movements and therefore are more vulnerable to injury. By exercising in all three planes of movement, we ensure the most three-dimensional range of strength and flexibility.
There you have it, your key ingredients to long-term, low back health. Fortunately, while it may seem daunting to attempt to incorporate all four strategies into your fitness program, a well-balanced yoga routine will address them all, and in a manner that keeps you working at your own pace and comfort level, allowing you to challenge yourself and progress at a rhythm and intensity that is most effective and safe for your back.
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Copyright ©2008 The Flexibility Coach, LLC
