From the category archives:
Flexibility
Lower back pain is just that…a pain. However, many people think the only ways to fix back pain is by surgery or through massage therapy. Another way to deal with problems with your lower back is with a stretching regime. For some unknown reason people just do not seem to want to stretch. Stretching could be the signal biggest way to starve off an injury and general pain altogether. Here we suggest some stretching exercises that could go a long way to improving your lower back pain health.
Lower Back Stretching To Help Relieve Lower Back Pain
Stretch 1: Try Some Yoga or Pilates
I know that yoga is not the manliest thing around but have you ever tried it? Heck, if Lebron James believes in it maybe we should all give it a try. Yoga can be very difficult for a beginner so please find a routine that fits your skill level. Yoga just works your core to the max in subtle yet intense ways. I could not believe how well my overall flexibility improved and slowly my back pain lessoned.
Lower Back and Upper Butt Stretch
When is the last time that you stretched your behind? Talk about an under-appreciated muscled group, so if that muscle has been neglected then muscles attached to it has also been neglected. Try this stretch for lower back pain. Great success in loosening up you lower back muscles can be had by doing this stretch.
Get on the floor facing the ceiling with your legs bent and your feet flat on the floor. Take your right foot and place it on top of your left knee. Grab your left shin and with both hands and slowly pull towards your chest. You should feel a pull on your right lower back and upper buttocks. Slowly release and do the same thing with your left buttocks.
Lower Back Stretch aka Upward Dog
Get on the floor facing the ground in a pushup ready form. Then straighten your arms and raise your head towards the ceiling with your hips and legs along the floor. You should feel a slight twinge along your spine and muscles while bending backwards. Slowly release and back to the original position and repeat.
Knee to Chest
Lie flat on the floor facing the ceiling once again. Slowly bring your left leg to your chest and after about 10 seconds and then release. Repeat with your right leg. You can repeat the stretch if you so desire.
Knee to the Chest with a Twist
Do the same routines as you did when you brought your right knee to the chest before but with your left hand pull your knee to the left while keeping your shoulders flat on the ground. This gives a slight pull on your lower muscles and flexing your spine. Repeat with your left leg and do as often as you see fit.
Last Minute Advice and Suggestions
Trying to stretch without properly warming up is not a good idea. A few minutes on an exercise bike or running in place will pump some blood through your body and get them loosened up. When doing a weight loss program or a fitness regiment remember to stretch your whole body properly to beat the injury bug.
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Home exercises can be fun and rewarding without having to deal with the cost, crowds, and time consumption usually associated with working out at a gym. The common reason why many people choose to do home exercises as opposed to getting a gym membership is not because they are trying to keep fit and healthy, but because they realize they are gaining weight and want to keep it down.
Even if you are not seeing signs of weight gain, it is important to have home exercises in your schedule at least three times a week in order to keep fit, maintain a healthy lifestyle and generally a strong body. There are a number of simple yet effective workouts that you can incorporate in your home exercise routine to transform your life and body within a short time. These home exercises work best when combined with proper diet and some exercising equipment.
Workout 1: Jogging with walking intervals
This is one of the simplest home exercises that you can even do every day. Be on your track suit and do jogging for about 100 yards and a walk of 20 yards. Cover half a mile in one session and the exercise will make your body healthier and stronger than before.
Workout 2: Jumping rope
You can do three sets of 100 jumps using a rope. It is important to complete all reps and sets before resting otherwise the whole idea of jumping will be diluted. You should take a few seconds to one minute to recover between sets. Doing this exercise three times a week will help a lot but since they are simple home exercises, there is no harm doing them every day.
Workout 3: Stretching
Stretching can be done alongside other home exercises and, if done correctly and long enough, can be a workout in and of itself. Stretches should target most of the body muscles especially those on the arms, legs, torso and back. Your stretches should last for between 3 to 5 minutes at the start but when you get used to them, they can last as long as 10 to 15 minutes a day.
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Working with a personal trainer provides benefits beyond simply having someone to spot you on your exercises, and motivate you during your routine. While these are important aspects of what personal trainers offer, there are several other good reason to use the assistance of a qualified personal trainer. For purposes of your workout routine, a qualified personal trainer serves almost as a business partner, being able to offer his or her expertise in developing your training plan, and certainly in supervising the execution of the plan. From time to time, it will be advantageous for you to review and revise your plan, and your personal trainer will be helpful in that regard as well.
A well qualified personal trainer will also have good experience with nutrition and diet issues. Also, if you have special needs, like rehabilitating from injury, or some other special consideration, a personal trainer can help you to execute that plan more safely.
Like most other professionals, the level of expertise of a particular trainer can vary dramatically. There are a number of organizations that purport to “certify” personal trainers, and you should seek to employ one that possesses some level of certification. We believe that the ultimate test of the quality of a personal trainer is recommendations and referrals from people with whom they have worked. While this is not the only measure of quality, it certainly should be part of the inquiry process. Ask to speak to clients with whom the personal trainer currently works, and several with whom they no longer work, regardless of the reason.
If you get lucky, your personal trainer may also have expertise with things like alternative medicine, including massage therapy, acupressure, and other tangential expertise that supplement his or her personal training qualifications. Be sure to ask about these and other services.
At a minimum, your trainer should:
- evaluate your fitness and goals
- give you a balanced program of fitness
- supervise you closely
- work with you to reassess goals and measure your progress
- factor in feedback you give him
- teach you have accomplish your goals without complete dependence on your personal trainer
- explain things clearly to you in layman’s terms
In order to get the most out of your personal trainers expertise, be sure to follow these tips:
- try to schedule at least her initial session during a time when the gym is not crowded
- don’t be afraid to take notes, or even record your training conference
- ask plenty of questions. That’s which are paying for.
- Don’t expect to have total recall of everything the trainer tells you on the first day.
- Show up prepared to go to work in your trainer will be motivated to work with you
Good personal trainers are not cheap. You expect to pay between $25-$75 an hour or more depending on where you are in the country. For some, this may be a little steep, but even if you cannot afford the expense of a regular personal trainer, it makes sense to get at least any initial and periodic consultation with one. Another alternative is to hire a” Cyber trainer”. These are people who have personal training experience, but work with you remotely to accomplish substantially all of the normal tasks assigned to trainer. Obviously, the place that suffers the most is supervising your workouts personally. Nevertheless, obtaining the expertise necessary to formulate your plan and review from time to time can be effectively done on a remote basis.
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Go stretch yourself.
Stretching is probably one of the most overlooked forms of exercise, yet it enhances virtually everything that we do in life. Good flexibility helps to prevent physical injury, even in normal daily activities, and makes it possible for us to perform at our peak level of capability. Stretching is not stressful. It is peaceful, relaxing, and noncompetitive. It can be invigorating at the same time as it reduces stress. For the most part, it requires no special equipment, no special facility, and no special training. In some ways, it is a perfect form of fitness activity.
Why stretch
You should make stretching a regular part of your daily routine because it relaxes your mind and tunes up your body for everything else that you will do during the course of your day period you will find that regular stretching will:
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Reduce muscle tension in make the body feel more relaxed
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Improve coordination by allowing for freer any easier movement
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Increase range of motion
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help prevent injuries such as muscle strains.
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Make strenuous activities like running, skiing, tennis, swimming, and cycling easier because it prepares you for the activity>
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Develop body awareness; as you stretch various parts of the body, you get to know yourself.
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Feel good
When to stretch
Stretching can be done anytime you feel like it: at work, in a car, waiting for a bus, walking down the road, under a shady tree, or at the beach. You can even stretch first thing in the morning before you get out of bed. This is perhaps one of the most rewarding stretches and a great start to your day. One of the wonderful things about stretching is that your body will tell you when a stretch is needed. When you feel tense, stressed, or limited motion, a good stretch can be just what the doctor ordered. But, don’t wait for your body to give you the signal. Reward yourself with regular stretching even before your body tells you you need it.
Personally, I have develop the routine of stretching first thing in the morning, after doing some basic warmup. I follow that up with a mid-day stretch and I end of the day just before bedtime with a relaxing stretch as I am winding down. My morning and evening sessions take approximately 15 minutes. My afternoon sessions takes approximately 5-10 minutes.
How to stretch
Even though stretching requires no formal training, there are a few ground rules which will maximize both your results and enjoyment of your routine. Basically, you should be relaxed and engaged in a sustained stretch with your attention focused on the muscles being stretched. There should be no bouncing up and down and you should not stretch to the point of pain. If you do it correctly and regularly, you will find that every movement you make becomes easier. It will take time to loosen up tight muscles or muscle groups, the time is quickly forgotten when you start to feel good.
When you begin a stretch, spend 10-15 seconds in each one. Stretch to the point where you feel mild tension, and relax as you hold it. The feeling of tension should subside as you hold the position. If it does not, eased off slightly and find the degree of tension that is comfortable. You should be able to say, “I feel the stretch, but it is not painful.” The easy stretch reduces muscular tightness and tension, and readies the tissues for the developmental stretch.
After the easy stretch, slowly move a fraction of an inch further until you again feel a mild tension and hold for 10-15 seconds. Be in control. Again, the tension should diminish; if not, eased off slightly. The developmental stretch is designed to increase your flexibility as you continue your routine.
While breathing will be discussed in another article, it is appropriately mentioned here since attention to your breathing can help to enhance your stretch routine. During a stretch session you’re breathing should be slow, deep, and under control. Do not hold your breath while stretching. Breathing during your session helps you to relax, which will in turn relax the muscles you are stretching.
For additional information on stretching, please take a look at an excellent resource called “Stretching”, by Bob Anderson. This book covers much of the material you see here, and also provides illustrative examples of a large variety of stretching exercises, including exercises specific to particular sports and recreational activities. It is an excellent reference and well worth your attention. Another excellent reference on stretching is “The Stark Reality of Stretching”, by Dr. Stephen D. Stark. This book, while a little more technical, also provides excellent information and pointers on stretching. Some of Dr. Stark’s approaches differ slightly from recommendations made by Mr. Anderson, but I have found both references to be very useful in my stretching routine.