Back pain is a common complication affects millions of people around the globe. If you aren’t experiencing it now, there is a high chance it might occur at some point in your life. Luckily, it all depends on your lifestyle.
This post has covered five of the best exercises that will help you deal with back pain at home, but first, let us understand the causes.
What causes back pain and who are likely to be victims?
Back pain can result from maintaining a wrong posture for an extended period while sitting or standing, lifting heavy weights, overstretching, or overworking your muscles. It might also occur as a result of poor diet. More often it affects the overweights, smokers, pregnant women or patients who are on medication that weakens the bones, for example, corticosteroids.
How to deal with back pain
There are many ways you can relieve back pain, from using pills to going through surgery, but nothing works better than exercising your back muscles. Exercising is safe, effective and the best part, permanent. But what kind of exercises will provide long-term results with limited risk? Here are some tips.
Five easy exercises that will help relieve back pain
1. Bottom-to-heel stretching
Get on all floors with your knees right below your hips and bent 90 degrees. Place your palms on the floor and hands straight under your shoulders. Your back should be slightly arched, neck extended and elbows locked.
While at this position, move your bottom backward while at the same time, maintaining your spine’s natural curve. Hold the position for some few seconds, breath deeply, and then get back to your starting position.
2. Back extensions
Lie on a mat with your face up. Use your elbows to prop yourself up so as to lengthen your spine. While doing this, keep your neck long and your shoulders back. Using your elbows and hands, push the floor to lift your upper body up.
The main aim of performing this exercise is to stretch the muscles of your abdomen, so, you should feel your stomach stretch. Hold this position for approximately, 8 seconds while taking deep breaths and then get back to starting position. Aim for 6 to 8 reps.
3. Plank
One of the main reason you have back pain is because the muscles that go round your spine are weak. So, you need to perform an exercise that will strengthen your core muscles. I like planks because they are simple and safe for everyone.
Position yourself as if you want to do press-ups. You should be facing down with your palms on the floor and slightly outside your shoulders. Push yourself off the mat and into a plank position using your forearms. Ensure that your back is straight from your shoulders to your heels. While at this position, breath in slowly, tighten your stomach’s muscles and hold for some seconds. Aim for one minute.
4. Inversion therapy
Inversion therapy is one of the most popular exercises that will help stretch your muscles effectively. Unlike other back pain remedies, it targets the pain at weight-bearing points such as your spine, knees, hips and the rest. It works by creating a stretch that will help maintain a healthy spine and prevent back pain by rehydrating spinal disk, realigning your spine, relaxing the tense muscles that surround your muscles and most importantly, reducing the nerve pressure.
To perform this exercise effectively and safely, you need a reliable inverted table. So, before buying, ensure that the areas of the table intended to support your lumbar and neck are padded. Also make sure it has useful features such as controlled inversion, high-end frame, space-friendly and most importantly, affordable. If you want to buy an inversion table that won’t disappoint, I would recommend Ironman IFT 4000 Gravity Inversion Table. For more information click here.
5. Knee twists
As mentioned above, back pain is likely to occur if your core muscles are weak. Twisting your knee will not only help stretch your para-spinal muscles but also strengthen your belly muscles and the muscles that surround your spine.
Lie on a mat with your face up and legs extended straight outside. Bend and cross your left knee to your right side. Hold that position for about, 20 seconds. Do the same for the right leg. That should be a rep. So, aim for 3-4 reps. You should feel some stretch throughout the muscles of your bottom.
The final word
These are some of the simplest back pain exercises you can perform at home with less caution, but that doesn’t mean they are a 100% safe for everyone. If you had gone through surgery or had other physical complications that needed serious medical attention, talk to your doctor first to avoid additional injuries. Lastly, don’t be too hasty to see results. Start slowly and increase the intensity as time goes.
