Back Pain.
A word that makes laborers, middle aged men, and pregnant women alike shudder in fear.
If you’ve ever experienced it, you know why they have this reaction.
You ache, your movement is limited, bending over can be not only physically draining, but mentally draining as well.
The nights of rough sleep get to you.
Maybe you’ve resorted to using melatonin or downing a cold one just to get a good night’s sleep.
Solutions seem scarce, you’re skeptical, maybe you just don’t have a lot of time on your hands.
You can’t make it to the chiropractor regularly.
You’ve been recommended surgery but you know that’s out of the question.
Maybe you’ve even stumbled upon regenerative medicine and thought about giving it a go but you just can’t pull the trigger yet.
Something has to happen, you can’t keep living this way.
So.. what’s the solution?
Well, what if I told you there were a few that you could do at your local gym.
Some even at home.
Stretches and light exercises that will ease or even rid you of the pain while giving you a back of steel.
Those are the very things I’m going to share with you in this article today.
Number One: The Seated Row
This exercise is tremendously beneficial, especially for beginners.
If you’re new to training you can start with a very low weight while still gaining the benefits of this exercise.
The fantastic thing about the seated row is the it now only strengthens your back, but also muscles that support it.
Parts of the body worked:
- Neck
- Upper Back
- Latissimus
- Triceps
- And biceps
Number 2: The Plank
You’ve likely seen someone perform this exercise before.
You essentially support yourself in the pushup position but use your forearms to hold yourself up rather than your hands.
Not only does this strengthen your entire back, but it strengthens your core as well.
Your core is one of the key players that supports your body so the stronger your core, the more support your back will get.
A nice bonus about this exercise is that no weights are required.
If you feel like it, you can do it right in your living room.
Number 3: The Back Extension
There are a few variations for this one.
One you will notice people use no equipment whatsoever.
Others will use aerobic balls.
Some will use benches.
For the sake of keeping this simple, we’ll describe the exercise when used with an aerobic ball.
- Lie face down with your chest on the ball, your arms crossed over your upper chest, and your legs straight out behind.
- Raise your chest up off the ball, coming to an upright position.
- Do not to bounce up and down on the ball as you perform each rep.
Now, this list isn’t all inclusive.
It does target all areas of your back and supporting muscles as well.
I recommend you keep it simple and don’t overtax yourself.
As you learn more and your body strengthens, push a little further.
Use a little more weight, even introduce some new exercises.
If done properly and with caution, you’ll notice a tremendous increase in pain within the first month.
If pain does still persist you should certainly consider taking another approach recommended by your doctor.
The exercises are preventative measure, they can NOT reverse a back that has been heavily injured.
If this is your case, please do consult a professional near you.
