Exercises to ease your back pain
Exercises for lower back pain can strengthen your back, stomach, and leg muscles. They help support your spine, relieving back pain. Always ask your health care professional before doing any exercise for back pain.
Movement can help relieve back pain, but only the right kind; avoid workouts that put too much stress and strain on the back. So which exercises should you choose? That partly depends on how intense your pain is, and what causes it. So, you should always get the recommendation of your doctor before doing any heavy exertion for lower back pain.
How Much Pain Is Too Much pain?
Some mild discomfort and pain can be expected anytime you start a new workout. As you work your way back to better health and your muscles strengthen, that pain and discomfort should disappear. But when a fitness routine causes moderate or severe pain symptoms that last longer than 15 minutes, you should end the exercise and check in with your doctor.
Also, there are some types of exercises to avoid since they can worsen your back pain. Any mild discomfort felt at the start of these exercises should disappear as muscles become stronger. But if the pain is more than mild and lasts more than 15 minutes during exercise, you should stop exercising and contact a doctor. Some exercises may aggravate pain. Standing toe touches, for example, put greater stress on the disks and ligaments in your spine. They can also overstretch lower back muscles and hamstrings.
Partial Crunches
One of the classic core-strengthening workouts is the partial stomach crunch. Partial crunches build strength in both your lower back and related stomach muscles, making this an ideal exercise for people with spondylosis.
Avoid: Sit-ups
Although you might think sit-ups can strengthen your core or abdominal muscles, most people tend to use muscles in the hips when doing sit-ups. Sit-ups may also put a lot of pressure on the discs in your spine.
Hamstring Stretches
Lie on your back and bend one knee. Loop a towel under the ball of your foot. Straighten your knee and slowly pull back on the towel. You should feel a gentle stretch down the back of your leg. Hold for at least 15 to 30 seconds. Do 2 to 4 times for each leg.
Avoid Leg Lifts
Once in awhile, leg lifts are suggested as useful treatments for lower back pain. That’s because they help strengthen abdominal muscles, which play an important part in back health. Unfortunately, lying on your back and lifting both legs together can worsen back pain, and could cause injury.
Instead of relying on leg lifts for better spine health, try this modified leg lift for lower back pain
Wall Sits
When it comes to low back pain, try some wall sits as a break from sitting on the couch. To do these wall sits properly and without injury, follow these steps:
- Stand with your back facing the wall at a distance of about 10 to 12 inches.
- Carefully lean into the wall until your spine is flat against it.
- Slide down the wall slowly until your knees are bent slightly. Continue to press your lower back into the wall.
- Hold this position for a count of 10, then carefully slide back up the wall. Repeat 8 to 12 times.
Source: WebMD
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