If you think treating back pain means going to bed or taking it easy, you couldn't be more wrong.
Most acute back pain resolves within a few weeks with home treatment, and bed rest is typically not recommended.
Exercise is one of the best ways to get rid of back pain and keep it from returning. There is an exercise for almost anyone with back pain.
Some people even begin to exercise the day after back surgery.
But there are some types of workouts for back pain that are more beneficial than others.
In the article below, we will take an in-depth look at exercising for back pain.
Table of Contents
- Back Anatomy
- Why Workout Your Back
- How Often To Train
- Different Types Of Workouts For Your Back
- Workouts For Back Pain
- Stretch Safely to Strengthen the Back
- Water Workouts For Back Pain
- Chiropractic Care For Back Pain
Back Anatomy
If you don't know how the back is formed, you can't design workouts that make it the best.
Your back is made up of three major muscle groups. Your latissimus dorsi is located on each side of your back and helps you extend, rotate, and pull your arms toward your body.
Your lower back is made up of three muscles that run the length of your back from your neck to your bottom.
Your lower back is involved in flexion and extension of the upper body as well as rotation.
There are also muscles known as your posture muscles. These are the rhomboids, and they are located between the shoulder blades and aid in rotation, elevation, and retraction of the shoulder blades.
Why Work Out Your Back
Your back muscles are involved in just about every activity you do each day, so they must be strong enough to handle all that work.
Strength training your back muscles will add muscle mass to your upper body, which can help make your waist look smaller.
Like your chest, your back is made up of big muscles that can handle heavyweight and, therefore, help you burn more calories.
How Often to Train
Like all muscles in your body, you can perform back exercises up to three non-consecutive days a week.
If you're lifting heavy weights to the point that you can only complete six to eight repetitions, you'll need two or more days of rest before you perform the exercise again.
For this reason, you might only work your back once or twice a week.
However, if your goal is to gain endurance and strength, stick with one to three sets of 12-16 repetitions lifting a weight that fatigues your muscle in that rep range.
If this is the case, you will want to make sure that you take at least one day of rest before you perform the exercises again.
Doing more and not allowing your body to heal after workouts can lead to overtraining, which will eventually negate any training gains you make.
Different Types Of Workouts For Your Back
Before you get started working out, check with your doctor chiropractor.
If you haven't exercised much in the past, start slowly and work your way up gradually. If you have pain or low back pain after working out, you should stop and call your chiropractor.
One of the worst mistakes is trying to do too much too soon. Always leave time for warm-up and cool-down before and after workouts for back pain.
The good news is that back pain can be prevented. Improper body mechanics such as incorrect posture or lifting heavy objects often leads to back pain.
Always be aware of how you sit, lift, bend, twist, and walk. Make sure your workplace uses ergonomically correct furniture, and ask for help if you need to move a heavy object.
Workouts for Back Pain
You need to take care of the core muscles that support your spine. There are many workouts for back pain that do this, and your chiropractor should be able to give you specific advice and training for your unique back pain condition.
An excellent example of a safe strengthening exercise is the pelvic tilt.
To do this exercise, lie on your back with your knees bent. Tighten your stomach muscles until you can press the small of your back flat against the floor. Hold the press for about five seconds and repeat up to 10 times.
Stretch Safely to Strengthen the Back
Keeping your core muscles limber is as important as keeping them strong. Two good stretching exercises are the knee-to-chest and the hamstring stretch.
To do the knee-to-chest, lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Bring one knee up to your chest and use your hands to pull the knee close while flattening out your back.
Then repeat with the other knee. The hamstring stretch is done from the same starting position. Pick up one leg with both hands placed behind your knee and then straighten your lower leg.
These stretches should be held for about 20 seconds and repeated five times.
You should also perform a warm-up before stretching.
One of the worst stretches for a person with back pain is bending over to touch your toes while keeping your legs straight.
Even worse is bouncing while trying to touch your toes. Other bad workouts for back pain are ones that require you to bend or twist with any weight in your hand.
Water Workouts For Back Pain
An aerobic exercise is any exercise that uses the big muscles of your body rhythmically and repetitively.
Aerobic exercise can get the blood flowing to your back muscles, which can really help them recover from injury and increase their strength.
Walking is an excellent low-impact aerobics choice for your back, but swimming may be an even better workout for back pain if you get backaches.
Swimming could be the best low-impact aerobics back pain exercise. Water provides both support and resistance. Almost any workout for back pain done in the water is beneficial and safe for back pain.
Chiropractic Care For Back Pain
If you've been exercising and trying other home remedies for your back pain, but the pain persists, it may be time to visit a chiropractor.
Your chiropractor will complete a full physical exam and work out a treatment plan to manage your back pain. They can also recommend different back exercises that can help your pain.
To speak with a Back Pain Chiropractor today, contact Florida Spine and Injury by clicking the button below.
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