Flexibility and Strength Are Important To Reduce Back Pain
Anyone who has ever suffered from a major backache knows how central the back is, even in times you might think it isn’t important. Even something like squeezing a tennis ball, an action that involves a focus on the fingers, forearm and bicep will involve the latissimus dorsi and other back muscles.
The latissimus dorsi or “lats” for short, are the large muscles on one’s side – in men these produce the “triangle shape” when well defined. Try squeezing a tennis ball as an exercise – do you feel it? You will experience a tensing of these muscles on the same side of your body as the arm used to squeeze the ball. If you have back pain, you can’t miss this.
Powerful back muscles are critical to participating in any sport. They are used for coordination, balance and speed, as well as providing a strong base for the movement of your limbs.
Here are some simple exercises to help stretch and strengthen those all-important back muscles. Most of them are better performed on a firm, but not hard surface. While you work the muscles, you don’t want to cause undue, painful pressure on bony parts of the body.
Knee to Chest: While lying on your back, clasp both hands behind one thigh. Pull your thigh towards your chest slowly while making sure to keep your other leg flat. Flex your ankle as you do this – alternate between pointing your toe and pulling it back towards your knee while stretching your leg. Hold each position for about five seconds, switch legs and do it over again. Do ten repetitions of this exercise.
Rotations: Do this one while lying back with your feet flat on the floor, knees together and raised. Extend your arms but keep them close to your body and keep your palms flat on the floor as well. Lift your feet just slightly off the ground and by moving your knee, rotate your torso. Move your knees a little to the left, then right. Alternate the exercise by crossing your arms over your chest, then repeat.
As you continue to practice this exercise, you will build flexibility and will be able to have a wider range of motion with this exercise. Eventually, you’ll be able to touch your knee to the floor.
Pelvic Press: While lying on your back, knees raised and feet on the floor, push the small of your back into the floor – you should feel your lower abdomen tense. Do this exercise with your feet together, then apart. Hold each press for about five seconds while continuing to breathe normally.
Pelvic Lift: Lie on your back, knees raised and feet flat on the ground, arms crossed over your chest. Keeping the legs and knees together, raise the buttocks up slightly and hold for 5 seconds. Lower slowly, count to two, then repeat. Remember to breathe normally through the exercise, in and out slowly.
Dog Stretches: On all fours, raise your head, eyes forward. Lower your arms and arch your back, hold 2 seconds, then resume the starting position. Slowly extend one leg, as near parallel to the floor as you can. Hold 3 seconds, then put the leg back into starting position. (If this produces back, hip, or leg pain stop immediately.)
Switch legs and repeat. Vary the exercise by extending the leg with toe pointed, then flex the ankle perpendicular to the leg. Hold for 2 seconds and repeat. Do 10 reps for each leg.
A great way to supplement these exercises is with a piece of equipment known as a back stretcher. There are various kinds of back stretching equipment that you can purchase which will help make back stretches much easier to perform.
If you experience pain while doing these exercises, discontinue immediately. While some mild discomfort is normal, pain is not and you should talk to your doctor if this occurs.
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Written by Sarah Duke on December 1st, 2009 with
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