Many daily activities can cause back pain, like carrying around a kid, slouching at your desk, and hovering over your smartphone. Back soreness or injury is no joke, and research indicates that about 56% of women in the United States suffer from some form of chronic back pain. Fortunately, there are simple back exercises you can perform at home or at the gym to ease and possibly banish back pain.
One crucial element of corrective exercises for back pain involves regularly stretching the ligaments, tendons, and muscles that support the spine. These stretches are designed to alleviate your back and neck pain by decreasing the risk of injury as well as increasing flexibility. Done correctly, these strengthening exercises can help prevent muscle soreness and injury.
For many people, back problems can clear up within a few weeks without any form of medical intervention. But for others, the problems may persist depending on the physical demands in their life and what is causing their pain. Today we’re going to tell you about the best stretches to prevent back soreness and injury with no medical intervention.
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- Lower Back Rotational Stretches
The lower back rotation stretch is designed to work the core muscles and improve stability. This stretch relieves and alleviates tension existing in the torso and lower back. Below are the right steps to do this exercise appropriately:- Lie down on the ground with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor
- Keep your shoulders firmly fixed on the floor
- Roll both knees gently over to one side
- Hold the position for 5 to10 seconds
- Return to your starting position
- Roll both knees gently over to the opposite side
- Hold for 5 to10 seconds, and then return to the starting position again
- Repeat this exercise 2 to 3 times on both sides twice per day
- Bridge Exercises
Bride exercise programs for back pain are intended to work your gluteus maximus – the major muscles of your buttocks. You can engage this muscle when you move your hips, especially when you bend into a squat posture. The gluteus maximus is among the major muscles in the human body. It keeps you strong and supports your lower back. The following are the steps to perform a bridge exercise:- Lie down on the ground with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor
- Place your feet at hip-width apart
- Raise your buttocks gently off the floor until your body forms a straight line from the knees to the shoulders
- Once you reach your highest point, squeeze your buttocks and keep your shoulders on the floor
- Lower your buttocks down to the floor, and then rest for a couple of seconds
- Repeat the same procedure 15 times and then take a one-minute rest
- Perform 3 sets of 15 repetitions daily
- Draw-in Maneuvers
The draw-in maneuver is an exercise designed to work your transversus abdominis. The transversus abdominis is a muscle located on the front and side of your abdomen whose job is to stabilize your lower back and spine region. Below are the steps involved in performing the draw-in maneuver exercise:- Lie down flat on the floor and bend your knees
- Keep your feet flat and arms by your sides
- Take in a deep breath
- While you breathe out, pull your belly button towards your spine and tighten your abdominal muscles
- Keep your hips still
- Hold the same position for about 5 seconds
- Repeat the draw-in maneuver 5 times per day
- Cat Stretches
The cat stretch is one of the best workouts to lengthen your back. It does make your back stronger, thus easing the tension in your muscles. Here is how to perform the cat stretch exercise to prevent back soreness and injury:- Get onto your knees and hands, placing your knees hip-width apart
- Arch your back and pull up your belly button towards the spine
- Relax your muscles slowly, then allow your stomach to sink toward the ground
- Get back to your starting position
- Repeat the cat stretches 3 to 5 times, twice a day
- Partial Curls
Strong abdominal muscles have a vital role to play when it comes to supporting your spine. They also keep your hips properly aligned.Weak abdominal muscles can lead to poor core strength, hence lack of stability. Usually, weak abdominals can cause lower back pain. Partial curls are useful in building a strong core, here is how to perform it:- Lie flat on the ground, keep your knees bent, and your feet about hip-width apart
- Have your hands crossed over your chest
- Take in a deep breath
- While breathing out, tighten your stomach to engage your abdominal muscles
- Lightly raise your head and shoulders about 2 inches off the floor
- Keep your neck aligned with your spine
- Hold the position for about 5 seconds before returning to the starting posture
- Repeat the workout 10 times
- Perform 3 sets of this exercise per day
- Supermans
Maintaining good posture requires one to have strong back extensors, which are the muscles running along the sides of your spine. Without these muscles, you can develop immense back pain hitches. a. Weak back extensors are highly likely to reduce pelvic and spinal support. The superman exercise helps to strengthen back extensors and enhance the spinal and pelvic support, here is how it’s done:- Lie down with your face towards the ground
- Stretch out both arms in front of your body
- Keep your legs stretched out and lay flat on the floor
- Raise both of your feet and hands up about 6 inches off the ground
- Tighten your stomach to keep your core muscles engaged and hold this position for 2-3 seconds
- Lower your feet and hands to the ground back to starting position
- Repeat the same exercise 10 times
- Lower Back Rotational Stretches
Performing these back stretches daily can work your major muscles to avoid back injury while improving flexibility and stability. Those experiencing back pain should pay close attention to the general posture they maintain throughout the day and while carrying heavy objects. By doing so, it’s easier to determine specific movements responsible for back pain issues. In the long run, these back stretches will help you improve flexibility and strength, so give them a try during your next visit to Youfit!
