Health, Weight Loss & Diet Plans General Blog: Back Pain

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Low-back pain is one of the most common complaints, period: About 8 out of 10 people will battle this special brand of agony at some point during their life, according to the <a href="https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/backpain.html" style="color: #0aa2b9; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">National Library of Medicine</a>. And while it might be the last thing you want to do, getting up and exercising is one of the best ways to fend off future aches and pains, according to a recent study published in <a href="http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2481158" style="color: #0aa2b9; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><em>JAMA Internal Medicine</em></a>.</div>
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Researchers in Australia and Brazil collected 23 studies from around the world that involved nearly 31,000 back-pain sufferers. After analyzing different <a href="http://www.prevention.com/health/prevent-lower-back-pain" style="color: #0aa2b9; text-decoration: none;" target="_self">pain-prevention strategies</a>, they found that people who exercised about 2 or 3 times a week slashed their odds of having a lower back pain episode by 35%. When paired with education about preventing back pain (such as learning the proper way to lift, better ergonomics, improved posture), exercise cut risk by nearly half—45%.</div>
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"Physical activity warms up muscles and increases blood flow throughout the body, which can encourage healing and relieve pain," says Seth Kress, a physical therapist and resource clinician for outpatient physical therapy at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, IL. "It also strengthens the muscles supporting the spine." (Want to pick up some healthier habits? Sign up to get daily tips, exercises, and more delivered straight to your inbox!)</div>
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So what's the best type of exercise for your back? According to the study, all forms of physical activity—whether it was back-strengthening moves or a general cardio regimen like walking—proved effective. One rule: if you're experiencing back pain, ease into exercise, says Mary Ann Wilmarth, owner of Back2Back Physical Therapy in Andover, MA, and a spokesperson for the American Physical Therapy Association. While some discomfort is normal, stop if you experience any severe pain. "If you feel worse after exercising, you might be overdoing it," says Wilmarth. (Avoid these exercises if you're experiencing back pain.)</div>
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The safest movement to begin with is walking. As you build endurance and strength, you can try incorporating strength and balance moves. You should also do exercises that increase the range of motion in your spine, which can keep you from straining a muscle in your back, says Wilmarth. So what exactly are those moves? Along with aerobic exercise, Wilmarth recommends the following ones. Start by doing each move 1 to 5 times, depending on how your back feels. Eventually, work up to 10 repetitions.</div>
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5 Best Moves To Prevent And Ease Back Pain

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                                <section class="field-body">An achy back
 makes it easy to blow off your workouts. But any doctor, physical 
therapist, or trainer will tell you that exercising is probably the best
 thing for your back: It can actually speed your recovery and <span class="cg-intext-span cg-intext-span-reset cgspnlink " data-type-id="10" data-type="yahoo" id="cg_intext_rt_search_0">help prevent<span class="cg-intext-trigger "></span></span> pain down the road.<br />

The only hitch is that you must <span class="cg-intext-span cg-intext-span-reset cgspnlink " data-type-id="10" data-type="yahoo" id="cg_intext_rt_search_2">avoid moves<span class="cg-intext-trigger "></span></span>
 that will make your problem worse, says Bob Fischer, a personal trainer
 in Southampton, PA, who specializes in training men and women over age 
50. Once you've seen a doctor to rule out potentially serious causes of 
your back pain, it's time to get moving. "If your back pain is acute, gentle exercise like walking
 boosts circulation, which sends a fresh supply of oxygenated blood to 
the place where you feel pain," he explains. "This reduces the 
inflammation that's causing your discomfort, helping you feel better 
faster." (Burn calories and build muscle—all while boosting your 
mood—with our 21-Day Walk a Little, Lose a Lot Challenge!) </section></div>
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Fischer adds that once the intense pain phase has passed and you're 
dealing with more of a chronic, nagging issue, strength training is key.
 "It's important to work the key muscles surrounding the back, such as 
the glutes, hamstrings, and abdominals, to help support the back and 
reduce future incidences of pain," he says. The catch is making sure 
those exercises don't cause further harm.<br />

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Here are the 4 riskiest moves when you have chronic back issues, and what to do instead to tone safely.<br />

<strong>Exercise To Avoid: Sit-Ups<br />
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 Going from laying flat to sitting upright puts a tremendous amount of 
strain on your spine, says Fischer, particularly if your core is weak—a 
common issue for people with back pain. "When you don't have the muscles
 in the front of your body to power you as you sit up, your low back 
ends up doing the brunt of the work, and that will exacerbate pain," he 
says.<br />
 <strong>Exercise To Do Instead: Half Crunches</strong><br />
 While most people will tell you to hold a plank, Fischer says 
half-crunches are actually better—as long as you only come up to a 20 
percent angle as opposed to a 90-degree angle with a sit-up. (Your 
shoulders should come about 5 or 6 inches off the floor.) "I like this 
exercise because it gets your upper abs to work without putting strain 
on the back," says Fischer. "Holding your body weight in plank while 
trying to keep your back straight can put a lot of pressure on your back
 muscles." (Try one of these no-crunch ab exercises to transform your core.)<br />

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<strong>Exercise To Avoid: Deadlifts</strong><br />
 Squatting over a barbell and raising the weight up using your legs can 
help strengthen your back as well—provided you use proper form. "Too 
often, I see people at the gym doing deadlifts with their low backs 
rounded excessively, which compresses your vertebral discs," he says.<br />
 <strong>Exercise To Do Instead: Leg Presses On A Machine</strong><br />
 This move strengthens your hamstring and glutes, just like deadlifts. 
However, it takes your back out of the equation and minimizes the chance
 of your body shifting into poor form.<br />

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<strong>Exercise To Avoid: Burpees<br />
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 This tried-and-true calorie-blasting move
 involves repeatedly dropping down into a push up and then bouncing back
 up into a jump. Burpees are surging in popularity and part of many gym 
classes and trainer-guided workouts, but you should skip them if you 
have back issues—or even if you have a history of back pain, says 
Fischer. "Burpees activate the majority of muscles in your upper and 
lower body, and also involve jumping in explosive, high-impact 
movements," he says. "Not only can this be painful for those already 
dealing with back pain, but it can even <em>cause</em> back pain if the muscles you're using in order to perform the burpees are weak."<br />
 <strong>Exercise To Do Instead: High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)</strong><br />
 The next time you're doing a strength-training session, interrupt your 
routine every 10 to 15 minutes to do 2 to 3 minutes of fast-paced cardio
 intervals on the treadmill or elliptical. And by "fast-paced" Fischer 
doesn't mean running or another high-impact cardio exercise. (Try this walking workout for maximum calorie burn.)
 "You'll be surprised at how you can really get your heart rate up by 
walking briskly or even picking up your usual pace on the elliptical," 
he says. "These bouts of high-intensity cardio will increase your 
calorie burn and boost your cardiovascular health without exacerbating 
your back pain."<br />

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<strong>Exercise To Avoid: Toe Touches<br />
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 Chronic hamstring tightness can cause pain in the low back. Yet if you 
do traditional toe-touches in order to stretch the backs of your legs, 
there's a good chance you'll round your back too much, and put pressure 
on your spine, says Fischer. "Keep in mind that as you get older, your 
muscles get inherently tighter, and that's compounded if you sit for 
much of the day," says Fischer. The tighter those muscles, the more 
rounding you'll have to do to touch your toes.<br />
 <strong>Exercise To Do Instead: Supine Hamstring Stretch</strong><br />
 Lay flat on your back, legs straight, and bring your left knee to your 
chest and grasp it with both hands. Pull it toward your chest until you 
feel a stretch in your left hamstring; hold it for 20 to 30 seconds, 
then repeat with your left leg. (Here are 3 safe ways to stretch your hamstrings.)
 "This exercise is safe for the back because you do it while flat on the
 ground, which ensures the spine stays in neutral alignment," says 
Fischer.</section></div>
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4 Exercises That’ll Make Your Back Pain Worse (And What To Do Instead)

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