Causes of Back Pain

Poor posture is the leading cause of back pain.  Examples of poor posture include standing with all of your weight on one leg or overarching your back.  This type of standing puts strain on your vertebral column.  Sitting for long hours or leaning over a desk is the opposite of what you should be doing with your spine.  Even actions that involve twisting backwards or bending down to pick up a heavy bag or a child can be bad for your back.  Just because you can do it, doesn’t mean you should be doing it.

Woman Doing Back Exercises

Weak back and abdominal muscles are the second leading cause of back pain.  Your back is extremely vulnerable.  There are a group of muscles, which surround and protect your back in order to strengthen it.  It’s important that your abdominal muscles stay strong so that your back is supported and you avoid injury or trauma to your back.

Improve Your Posture

Start by standing with your back against a wall.  The back of your head, your shoulders, your hips and your heels should all be touching the wall.  Now, lift your chin so that it is parallel to the floor.  Pull your shoulders backwards so that you feel as if you are opening your chest.  Keep your shoulders down slightly.  Lift up your chest and keep your hips relaxed.  Keep your tailbone in a neutral position.  Do not arch your lower back and don’t round it.  Relax your kneecaps and step away from the wall, remaining in this position.  Now look in a mirror and make note of how you are standing.  This is the ideal posture to be standing in, walking in or sitting in.  Check yourself repeatedly throughout the day to ensure that you are staying in this position.  Eventually, it will come like second nature to you.

Warming Up

Always warm up before doing any kind of physical activity to prevent injury or trauma to the back.  Skipping the warm up may make your movements jerky and that’s counterproductive.  Take a five minute walk at the end of the warm up.  Make sure you’re working out at least four to five times a week.  If you find you are in pain on any particular day, do the stretches and the warm up, but avoid doing any exercise that day.

Back Hyperextensions

Lie down on the floor on your stomach.  You can use a mat for comfort.  Keep your fingers linked underneath your face.  Turn your nose down towards your hands, while keeping your feet firmly on the floor.  Contract your lower back muscles and raise your upper body until your chest lifts off the floor.  Lower yourself back down.  Exhale as you lift and inhale as you lower.  Do 12 slow repetitions.

Prone Leg Raises

Stay on your stomach on the floor.  Turn your head to one side and place your hands on the sides of your hips.  Keep your abdomen slightly contracted.  Slowly raise one leg off of the floor.  Lower it back down, slowly.  While you do this, focus on squeezing the muscles above your hip.  Your hips should stay stable without moving from side to side.  Perform 8 to 10 repetitions on each leg.

Long Bridge

Turn over so that you are sitting on your butt.  Brace your arms straight out behind you, so that you are pressing off the ground with your hands flat on the ground.  Raise up on your heels.  Keep your head, shoulders, knees and hips straight.  Do not drop your hips down.  Contract your back and hip muscles in order to hold yourself up.  Hold this position for 15 seconds.  Rest and repeat the process.  Continue breathing normally and do not hold your breath.

Back Stretch

Lay down on your back and pull your knees towards your chest, hugging them tightly to your chest.  Hold this pose for 10 seconds.  Gently rock from side to side, massaging your back.

Upper Ab Curls

This is kind of like a half sit-up.  Lie down on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor.  Place your hands behind your head (toward your neck) with your fingers linked.  Do not allow your chin to touch your chest.  Keep your head in a comfortable position and leave your elbows at your side.

Contract your abdominal muscles while you raise your upper body until your shoulder blades lift up off of the floor.  Your elbows should remain at your sides.  Do not allow your elbows to come forward.  Lower down until your head nearly touches the floor.  Do not allow your head and arms to rest on the floor.  Lift back up against just before they touch the floor.  Exhale as you lift and inhale as you lower.  Do 12 to 16 slow repetitions.