Exercises for Back Pain – Protect Your Spine with These Basic Workouts

As you grow older, back pain in your 30s and 40s can be a hindrance to daily life. A muscle pull, incorrect posture, and sitting for long periods – the reasons are aplenty. It can cause a lot of discomforts, pain, uneasiness leading to reduced mobility, unwillingness to work or move about and just a lot of anxiety. It can strike without warning, all you can do is hope that it is nothing bad and that it will pass. There are many exercises, which help strengthen your spine and make sure that you can evade any sort of back pain and live a happy, healthy life! Read on to find out more.

What are Some Common Reasons for Back Pain?

The causes for back pain are aplenty based on what part of your back is hurting. Millions of people around the world have back pain and just live with it. If the pain is unbearable or being a nuisance in your daily functioning, please go visit a specialist. Some reasons for back pain are listed below.

• Spine-related problems, which could include a bulging or a slipped disc. Visit a doctor immediately in case of immense pain.
• Inflammation, which usually happens where the spine meets the pelvis due to the load that is shifted from the upper to the lower body.
• Vertebral fractures or spinal fractures.
• Sprains, in the muscles, ligaments and tissues surrounding the spine.
• Lifestyle could include poor posture, no exercise, sitting for long periods, spinal fractures, etc.
• Accidents or existing injuries.
• Spasms, which lead to muscles in your back feeling like they are locked and hurting briefly.
• Tumours, scoliosis (curvature of the spine), arthritis, etc. can hurt your back.
  The best option is to seek help in case of extreme pain, but if you want to avoid back pain in your 30s and 40s as much as you can, there are exercises that can help you.

Exercises for Back Pain Relief

Back pain can be annoying for a variety of reasons especially when you have things to do and you can’t due to the discomfort. However, there are many workouts for back pain at home. Exercise usually helps to make sure that you can keep your upper and lower back flexible, healthy and strong. If your muscles are tensed, take a warm water shower before these exercises and make sure you wear loose clothing. Here are some exercises and stretches listed below.

1. Exercises for Upper Back

• Pectoralis Stretch

Hold on to the sides of an open doorway with your hands slightly above your shoulders and lean forward. Stay like this for 30 seconds and repeat 3 times.

• Scapular Exercise

Either while sitting or standing, squeeze your shoulder blades in together and hold for a few seconds. Do this 10-15 times, 2 sets.

• Thoracic Extension

Again, while sitting or standing, keep your hands behind your head and arch your back to try and look up at the ceiling. Do this about 10 times and try repeating it through the course of the day.

• Trap Exercise

Source: diyactive.com

While lying on your stomach on a mat, place a pillow under your chest. Stick your arms out with your thumbs pointing upwards. Now, slowly raise your arms up so that you squeeze your shoulder blades together. You can do 15 reps and 3 sets. If it becomes easier to do, start holding light weights in your hands.

• Arm Slide

Source: www.researchgate.net

While standing with your back against your wall, keep your wrists and elbows down against the wall. Slowly start sliding your arms upward while having both your elbows and wrists against the wall. Do 3 sets of 10 each.

2. Exercises for Lower Back

• Superman Stretch

While on the ground on your stomach, extend your arms and legs in front and behind you respectively. Slowly, try to raise your arms, legs and chest all in one motion. Hold for a second and return to the starting position. Do 3 sets of this with 10 reps each.

• On All Fours Stretch

You will have to get down on your hands and knees. While pushing your stomach downwards, curve your spine and look up. Then arch your spine and look down. Hold both positions for 4-5 seconds. Do 2 sets of 10-12 times.

• Gluteus Exercise

Lie on your back and bend your knees. With the right leg folded over the left, grab the left leg from your shin and pull towards your chest. Hold for 10 seconds. Do 2 sets of 3-5 times.

• Hamstring Stretch
  

While standing upright, try to bend down and touch your toes while keeping your knees straight. Hold this position for 10-12 seconds. Lead with your chest and not your head. Do 5 reps.

• Pelvic Tilt

Source: www.mayoclinic.org

Lie down on your back with your knees bent. Keep your arms to your sides on the ground. While in this position, lift your pelvis upwards while squeezing your glutes and hold for a moment before returning to the starting pose. Do 3 sets of 12-15 each.

Changing your sedentary lifestyle and becoming more active is a great way not only to help back pain but also other pains and aches in your body. All these exercises, if done regularly, will definitely provide relief. Stretching is a good way to improve your flexibility and range of motion and helps you perform physical activities. It will help you fix your back pain at home without having to visit a doctor. However, if the pain persists, please visit a specialist.

Tips to Avoid Back Pain Problems

The human body can recover from heavy trauma caused due to road accidents or accidents at work, but all it takes is bending over to pick up something and back pain strikes with a vengeance. Although it goes away, it is better avoided to save us the trouble of a backbone pain. Fortunately, you can avoid back pain altogether. Certain lifestyle changes are a good start to relieve yourself from chronic back pain. Some tips to help you do the same include:

• Working out or playing a sport regularly along with a balanced diet and ample rest is needed. Maintain a healthy weight, which will cause lesser stress on your back.
• Stretching is as important as working out because it opens up your muscles and makes them more flexible. Back stretches immensely help to keep your back healthy.
• Maintaining the right posture helps the spine stay in its natural curve, which leads to lesser stress and injuries.
• While lifting heavy objects, make sure to lift with your legs and not your back. The spine is not meant to handle weight at that angle, and it is a lot easier and safer to crouch and lift with your legs.
• Since humans sleep for about a third of their lives, it is worth investing in a good quality mattress. It will help align your back while you are asleep.
• If you are going out, try to not carry around a heavy purse, which will weigh down your shoulder the entire day/evening. It is not good for your back when constant weight wears it down on it over long periods.
• Usually, the level of stress is directly proportionate to back pain, which makes it a great reason to practice yoga. Reducing stress leads to muscles being less tense which in turn leads to lesser pains.
• Back muscles are very important for maintaining spinal integrity. Make sure to work out your back muscles with push ups and pull ups so that they gain strength in order to protect the spine from damage while lifting.

Unfortunately, there are many ways by which you can have back pain, and that also includes genetics. However, on the bright side, there are methods and exercises that help to minimize the chances of injury or pain so that you can lead a happy, pain-free life. You can either let the back pain control you or control the back pain yourself and alleviate the symptoms. Just make sure to exercise, eat well and get plenty of rest and fluids, and your body will do the rest!

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