Low back pain or lower back pain is related to our musculoskeletal structure. It can originate in the muscles, tendons, ties ... up to 80% of the population suffers it and these affected people tend to have a high risk of relapse. For this reason, preventive lumbar exercises, as well as physiotherapy and strengthening our back, will be key. How to have a healthy back?
Most commonly, the pain is caused by ligament strains. They can occur due to sudden movements of great intensity, which cause imbalances in our structures. A sedentary lifestyle, in turn, can also cause loss of strength and muscle mass in the back and abdomen, which can cause painful contractures. Our body is not designed to sit for long hours! Postural hygiene is very important to take care of our bone structures, ligaments and intervertebral discs.
In the first moment after the injury, it is very important to rest and apply cold. You can also take an anti-inflammatory. Consultation with a physical therapist is recommended.
During the acute phase, exercise is not recommended, but you
can try to relieve muscle tension with breathing exercises. In addition,
complete rest for a long time can lead to chronic low back pain, therefore, you
should follow the instructions of professionals on how and when to start
moving.
lumbar exercises
General exercise recommendations for the lower back
After this acute phase, you can begin to regain joint
mobility with exercises that stimulate pelvic movements and stretching of the
entire lower back muscles.
As the days go by and we improve, it will be important to
increase the strength of all the muscles of the back, abdomen and legs, as it
will help prevent future low back pain.
It will be very important to perform the exercises
correctly, breathing properly and with good technique. You can seek help from
professionals.
Considerations to take into account
Traditional abdominal exercises or free weight in the gym
are not recommended at all if we suffer from pain in the lower back. Instead,
they should be replaced by isometric abdominals (with constant tension, such as
planks), we will remove tension and stress from the psoas and lumbar joints.
plank exercises for lumbar
Free weight exercises can cause a lot of damage to the
intervertebral discs, you should only do them if you have the proper training
or with the help and supervision of a professional.
Lower back exercises and pain prevention
Each person should have their type of exercises, as well as
the number of repetitions and appropriate weights for him or her. As we have
commented, we should work the lumbopelvic muscles, the mobility of both the pelvis
and the hip and the thoracic region.
"Cat - camel"
It helps to work the width of the dorso-lumbar joints. You
get into quadrupeds, on your knees and hands, trying to keep us aligned. We
will try to reach maximum lumbar extension and flexion, arching the spine
upwards and then downwards, maintaining about 3-5 seconds in each position.
Breathing is very important to accompany the movement.
"Bird-Dog"
This exercise is also started in a quadruped position. Its
performance consists of raising the opposite arm and leg to form a horizontal
line with the throne. This movement will create an imbalance in the thoracic
region that we will counteract by working the abdomen and lumbar.
bird dog
Opposite leg-arm raise
Lying face down, we have different variants to strengthen
the back. We can try to raise the upper limb, hold for 5 seconds and go back
down, then do the same by raising the lower limb.
You can try to do the same but raising the opposite arm and
leg at the same time. Always slowly and without forcing.
Dorso-lumbar stretch
Lie on your back, bend one leg and bring it towards your
chest. Hold the position for 15-20 seconds, return to the starting position and
repeat with the other leg.
It can also be done with both legs at the same time. If
desired, add smooth micro-movements to any direction of space.
Hip Extension or Gluteal Bridge
This exercise, aimed at strengthening the glutes, helps activate
the lumbar and hamstrings as well. It is highly recommended to gain strength
and stability.
Column rotations
To stretch the spine, it is also good to do small rotations,
always without forcing. You can lie up and cross one leg by dropping the weight
to the opposite side. Try to form a 90ยบ angle. You can stretch your arms in the
shape of a cross and try to keep your shoulders touching the ground, so we will
only rotate the lumbar part. Switch sides 2 or 3 times very slowly.
Variants of exercises
for lower back
To increase stability and intensity at the lumbar and core
level, there are some strategies and alternatives, how to use unstable surfaces
or complementary material (rubber bands, balls, etc.)
Let's see some exercises:
Lumbar exercises with the use of the fitball
The most basic exercise consists of sitting on the fitball
under the sacrum. With your feet parallel and start making movements with the
pelvis and spine: forward and backward, sideways ... explore the sensations, if
there is pain, etc. in different directions.
You can practice hip extension, supporting your back on the
fitball and then performing a hip lift, so that we only support the thoracic
and cervical part, lifting the lumbar.
Another variant would be to place the feet and part of the
leg on top of the fitball, applying pressure on it to raise the hips. It will
be important to keep your shoulders, back, hips, legs, knees, and ankles
aligned.
lumbar exercises
Lumbar exercises with the use of weights
You can perform lifts where the lower back is activated,
such as in the deadlift. We can also reproduce natural movements of carrying
loads to work on imbalances in movement and compensate for them.
All these exercises, it is advisable to do them under the
supervision of a professional and with the appropriate weights, an excess of
weight could be harmful to our lower back.
Lower back exercises with the use of elastic bands
The rubber bands will give us the possibility to perform a
wide variety of exercises, and may also increase the difficulty if we increase
the tension.
Yoga postures for lower back
Finally, remember that yoga is a very good option to gain
flexibility, range of motion and strengthen muscles. It must be done step by
step and following the instructions of a professional.
Postures known as downward facing dog or simply hamstring
stretches and the entire back will be very beneficial to take care of our lower
back. Mobilize and relax your spine, letting your head and arms fall forward,
without forcing, just relax and breathe, release tension in the areas where you
accumulate the most!
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