Low back pain can incapacitate anyone to the point of prostration, all due to a herniated disc or lordosis. It is known that 3.15% of Americans go to the emergency room because of low back pain.
Over the years, the pressure on the back, due to poor posture and excess weight, aggravates back pain even more and medication is often not enough to remedy the pain, as well as causing drug poisoning.
Here are some exercises that can help relieve back pain. It’s always good to consult a health professional before starting any exercise routine, especially if you’re dealing with pain:
1. Hamstring stretch
How to do it: Lie on your back with one leg bent and the other straight. Raise your straight leg towards the ceiling until you feel a stretch in the back of your thigh. Hold for 20-30 seconds and then switch legs.
Benefit: Relieves tension in the hamstring muscles, which can contribute to lower back pain.
2. Cat and Cow Pose
How to do it: Get on all fours with your hands in line with your shoulders and your knees in line with your hips. Inhale, arching your back upwards (cat pose), and then exhale, pushing your abdomen down and lifting your head and hips (cow pose). Repeat 10 times.
Benefit: Improves spinal flexibility and relieves muscle tension.
3. Knee to Chest Stretch
How to do it: Lie on your back with your knees bent. Pull one knee towards your chest, keeping the other leg on the floor. Hold for 20 seconds and then switch legs.
Benefit: Helps stretch the lower back, relieving pressure.
4. Bridge
How to do it: Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Raise your hips, forming a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Hold for 5-10 seconds and then lower slowly. Repeat 10-15 times.
Benefit: Strengthens the abdominal, gluteal and lower back muscles, which are essential for supporting the spine.
5. Piriform stretch
How to do it: Lie on your back with your knees bent. Cross one leg over the opposite knee and pull the lower leg towards your chest. Hold for 20-30 seconds and change legs.
Benefit: Relieves tension in the piriformis muscle, which can cause lower back pain if it’s tense.
6. Plank
How to do it: Lie on your stomach, resting on your forearms and toes. Keep your body straight, contracting your abdomen. Hold for 20-30 seconds.
Benefit: Strengthens the core, which helps stabilize the spine and reduce lower back pain.
7. Cobra stretch
How to do it: Lie on your stomach with your hands resting on the floor next to your chest. Raise your upper body, keeping your hips on the floor. Hold for 10-20 seconds.
Benefit: Stretches the front of the torso and improves the flexibility of the spine.
These exercises should be performed carefully and in a controlled manner. If any exercise causes pain, it’s best to stop and consult a doctor or physiotherapist.
Don’t be crippled, strengthen your spine
Finally, the spine is the body’s support, without it we are incapacitated, and at the same time, it is too fragile to support weight, poor posture and many years of life.
Therefore, in addition to all the care that needs to be taken to preserve the spine, the lumbar spine suffers all the consequences. Physical exercise guarantees the health of the spine for longer, by strengthening the muscles and preventing the formation of hernias.
Try practicing and let me know the results!