A strong and flexible back isn’t something that is optional, it is crucial to the well being of your entire body and satisfaction in your everyday life.
Back pain, stiffness, immobility, even constant aching affect a greater amount of the population than you would think.
HALF of all working class Americans admit to having some form of back pain related symptoms each year.
That’s right, it’s not just your dad whose doing yard work when he shouldn’t be.
Even more surprisingly, back pain is the cause for 264 million lost work days per year.
That’s two full work days for every full time worker in the country.
With statistics like this it makes you wonder why people aren’t trying to fight their back pain more diligently.
It could be a knowledge gap, maybe they just don’t know where to start.
Maybe they just don’t have the motivation or think fixing their back pain will involve some sort of invasive surgery.
In this article we’re going to show you that these answers don’t have to be the norm for you.
Below you’re going to get four actionable ways to strengthen your back and hopefully fend off back pain for good.
NUMBER ONE: QUADRUPED BACK CIRCLES
This is an extremely simple exercise that requires nothing but your body and computer or phone to watch the video.
This is fantastic for beginners and even those who may be “hard cases” when it comes to their back pain.
Following along you will notice that your body uses nothing but it’s own wait to strengthen your back and improve it’s mobility.
NUMBER TWO: KETTLE BELL SWINGS
Kettle bell swings all originate from a primary motion called “hip-hinging”.
Hip-hinging reinforces your spines neutral position, also known as it’s correct anatomical position.
By utilizing your hips and back this way during kettle bell swings, your posterior chain muscles can be corrected and strengthened.
This exercise does not require you to use a weight if you simply follow the motions.
If you do opt to use a weight when you’re first beginning be recommend choosing a lighter weight.
Strengthening your back is our goal, not injuring it further.
NUMBER THREE: THE YOGA SQUAT
With your legs slightly wider than hip-distance apart, your weight in your heels, bring your hands to your chest in a prayer position. Press your hips back and bend your knees as you squat down as far as you can, until your glutes are just a few inches from the ground.
Press your elbows to the inside of your knees to keep them aligned with your toes. As you breathe slowly, sink your tailbone toward the floor and lift your chest to lengthen your spine.
Hold the squat for 15 to 20 seconds, stand, then repeat three or four times.
This is a simple routine that requires no equipment and is very beginner friendly.
What’s even better is it will only take you a few minutes to complete.
NUMBER FOUR: FIX YOUR POSTURE
It’s no surprise that this is on the list, but we wanted to save it for last for one reason.
The reason is that many have gone through their entire lives with bad posture.
Bad posture isn’t linked to back pain alone, but to the functioning of your entire body.
Your spine is meant to be in an upright, partially curved position.
This allows for proper blood flow to the entire body and proper functioning of your nerves.
If you’re constantly slouching and arching your back, neither of these things are happening.
So, what are some fixes to poor posture?
A few easy ones that you can implement this very moment are:
Practice sitting upright when you eat.
Don’t recline when you’re watching TV or reading.
Purchase a back brace to hold you upright when you walk.
Trade your computer chair in for one that aids your body in sitting up right.
If you implement any of these four tips above, and practice them over time we have no doubt that you will see improvements in mobility and reduced pain.
These tips are far from being a “cure all” and as always, please consult your doctor before attempting any of these practices.
If your pain is more severe, even though you’ve been keeping up with these exercises daily then it may be time to reach out to us for an evaluation.
As always, stay active and keep moving.
-The RegenCore Team
