When you were just about to lean down to pick up the pen that fell off the table, you felt as if you are being hit by Thor’s hammer right on your spine.
Yes, that’s how back pain makes you feel every time you try to do a little action involving your spine. It’s like you die with every move.
Some of the common causes of backaches can be:
a) Slipped discs: It is typically the displacement of discs between your joints.
b) Degenerative disc disease: This is caused generally in old age when your discs start to tear or shrink.
c) Spondylolisthesis: This happens when one of your bones in your vertebra displaces forward over the bone below it.
d) Bulging of discs: Here also there occurs protrusion of discs.
e) Weight gain: Being overweight can also be a primary cause of lower back pain. Overweight causes weaker muscles and lower flexibility, which may lead to joint pains, strain in muscles as well as back pain.
f) Accidents: Any kind of accident or injury can lead to backaches. Car accidents, muscle sprains, strains or fractures can be a factor that is responsible for your backache.
So, coming back to the main issue of back pain! What are you actually doing for that? Or have you just accepted the fact that you will have to live with this pain for the rest of your life?
If yes, give it a second thought. We bring to you some simple yet effective back pain exercises that can surely relieve you of the pain.
To find natural solutions to all your health issues, you can always drop by to any of the Possible Centres and ask our Nutrition experts themselves. All for FREE! Just click and get started!
Remember SRK and Aish starrer, “Ishk Kameena “from the movie Shakti? Well many of us don’t know that SRK had a serious back injury during an accident while shooting for the movie. And he had to bear the pain for a long time after that.
Exercises to lower the back pain
1. Wall Sits
It is one of those exercises where, if done properly, your back pain can be reduced significantly without much strain.
- Stand with your back facing the wall at a distance of 10-12 inches.
- Now lean back slowly until your spine is flattened against the wall.
- Slowly slide down until your knees bent slightly. Press the lower back onto the wall.
- Hold this position for 7- 10 seconds and then, slowly slide up the wall.
- Repeat this exercise for up to 8-12 times.
2. Partial crunches
One of the best core-strengthening workouts, partial crunches help in building strength to your back and abdomen muscles.
- Lie on the floor with flat back and bent knees.
- Now raise your shoulders with hands behind your head or arms crossed around your chest.
- Breath out while lifting your shoulders.
- Hold that position for one second. Now, lower yourself back down on the floor slowly.
- Repeat this exercise between 8-12 times in a controlled manner while maintaining the same slow pace.
3. Bird Dog
This exercise is a combination of a bird and dog postures and is an excellent fitness routine for easing up the lower back pain. This exercise helps in stabilizing the lower back with the movement of hands and legs.
- To start with, get on your hands and knees. While doing so, tighten your abdomen muscles.
- Now, lift your one leg and extend it behind you while keeping hips at a level.
- Hold this position for 5 seconds.
- Switch to other leg and arm, stretch it the same way.
- Repeat this for 8-12 times.
4. Glute Bridge
This exercise focusses on glute or hip muscles while relaxing the lower back.
- Lie on the floor with hands on sides, knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
- Now, squeeze your hips and abs and lift through your heels till your body forms a straight line between your shoulders and knees.
- Hold this position for few seconds making sure that your knees shouldn’t collapse.
- Slowly, lower your hips to the starting position on to the floor.
- Repeat this exercise.
While performing this exercise, make sure that you exert pressure on glutes and not over-exert on the back area while hyperextending the same.
5. Aerobic exercises
It is a well- established fact that sometimes back pain is because of excess body weight. Apart from strengthening your lungs, heart and blood vessels, aerobic exercises also assist in weight loss.
Try different aerobic exercises like
- Walking
- Swimming
- Biking
as per your convenience and body comfort, that will help in weight loss and subsequently, reducing back pain.
Therapy exercises for lowering back pain
Here are a few back pain exercises that our in-house Doctors have come up with:
Therapy 1: Take a workout mat and place it on an even floor. Fold a towel and place it under your lower back with your legs folded. Don’t stress your lower back. Try to concentrate on your back muscles and press the towel as much as you can. You can then unfold your legs and keep pushing the towel.
Therapy 2: Lie on your stomach with your hands under your shoulders. Relax your body and try to lift your head, neck, and shoulders. You’ll feel contractions in your upper body muscles. Then try to lift your hands and upper body as much as you can. You can now feel contractions in your lower body. You can have 10 reps of each move and repeat 3 sets.
Therapy 3: Come on to your knees and your hands. Place your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Try to take your upper back pushing it up to your ceiling and crunch your abdomen. You should be moving only in your upper back and core muscles.
Therapy 4: Lie down on your stomach and relax your body. Slowly lift one leg towards the ceiling. Do it for the other leg also. Continue it and you’ll feel contractions in your lower back and glute muscles.
Therapy 5: If the fourth position is a little difficult for you then you can try the alternative in a standing position. Place your hands in front of your shoulders and stand relaxed. Then try to crunch your abdomen and contract your back muscles. Make 10 repetitions of each move. You can repeat 3 sets of these.
To help you more here have a look at the video below and try out these simple back pain exercises at home.
Other mindful factors to consider
Before starting with the back pain exercises, a few things to keep in mind are:
1) Have a good sleep. Although the back pain may not let you sleep properly, you have to try getting good sleep.
2) Your posture has a great role to play when you have an ache in your back. Sit and even sleep with proper postures.
3) Consult a physical therapist. Whatever be the cause of your backache, seeing a physical therapist is always advised.
4) You can use ice and heat for temporary relief.
5) At times, you can also take prescribed medications for the pain. But do not make it a habit.
How do you strengthen your back?
There is no one single best exercise for lower back pain. However, the above were some of the simplest forms of exercises for lower back pain relief.
Some other quick tips like abdominal chair crunches, plank hold, side plank hold can also be pretty helpful for back pains.
There can be severe issues of back pains but the best-proven cure for this is the right forms of back pain exercises and a determination to do it regularly.
You don’t have to commit long hours in the gym for carrying out these exercise for back pain, all you got to do make it a habit of doing it properly.
And if you need determination here are few words from our Desi Superhero himself,
“Look at the irony of it. I have a broken back, broken knees, I have torn my shoulders six or seven times and I’m playing a superhero.” That’s 38-year-old actor Hrithik Roshan’s”.
So are you game to fight your spine enemy with these back pain exercises? Don’t forget to tell us about how you are fighting your backache in the comments below!
Good Article 🙂 I hope this will work
Hi Swati,
Thank you so much for your feedback. We hope these exercises will be helpful to you. 🙂
Great story.To be able to fully and quickly treat back pain, you need to be aware of the causes of lower right back pain, and the symptoms that may be experienced.
Thank you for your feedback. Keep following our blogs and do keep writing!
Thank you for writing to us. Yes, these effective good and bad back pain exercises can be really helpful if followed properly.
Thanks
Hi Richard! Thank you and keep following our blog to know more health information.
Nice article. It is my personal opinion that Ayurveda also helps to get relief from such pains. Keep posting.
Hi Prakash! We thank you for sharing your feedback towards our article. Keep following our blog to know more health information.
Nice article
Hi Ajinkya! Thank you and keep following our blog to know more health information.
I was having so much of pain in my lower back since last few days. Luckily I have got to know about this article. I hope these exercises gonna help me cure my back.
Hi Victor! We thank you for sharing your feedback towards our article. Regular practise will help you to see the results. Keep following our blog to know more health information.