In many parts of the population, back gymnastics is the standard sport, especially at an advanced age, which is booked for a given occasion at the adult education center or the regional gymnastics club. At the same time, back exercises are an occasional therapeutic measure prescribed by orthopedists. Back exercises are also often on the agenda in rehabilitation and spa clinics. Given the well-known statistics about costly absenteeism in the workplace, back exercises should perhaps be offered as standard in every company.
What is back exercise?
Back exercises are mainly used for prevention, relief or treatment of existing back problems. Under the collective term back gymnastics, various exercise sequences for the neck, shoulder and back area are summed up, which have the goal of systematically strengthening the back muscles, loosening already tense parts and – supplemented by manual or apparatus measures if indicated – freeing them from chronic blockages and pain. Back gymnastics can be performed on one’s own or under expert guidance. Back gymnastics is mainly used for prevention, relief or treatment of existing back problems.
Function, effect and goals
The term back gymnastics introduces various gymnastic exercises and stretching procedures that can be used at any age to relieve the back muscles. Videos, books and courses on the subject of back gymnastics indicate that any form of back gymnastics has a high importance in health protection and prevention. At any age, one can perform most of the exercises of back gymnastics. However, with advanced age or with already existing damages and illnesses of the skeleton one must take into account changed movement possibilities. The back gymnastics must be adapted in each case to the health conditions and possibilities. Basic rule number one is that one should never go into pain. It cannot always be recommended to practice any back gymnastics according to a book, because not all exercises are equally recommendable from an orthopedic point of view. Specialized physiotherapists, fitness trainers, sports trainers or physiotherapists can help one to find an appropriate form of back gymnastics. One can then also do this on one’s own. In the case of slipped discs, accidental injuries or after operations on the spine, specific back gymnastics and comprehensive rehabilitation treatment are often necessary. Nowadays, health insurance companies partly finance prevention courses. In the case of chronic back pain, multimodal therapy approaches are often useful. In a broader sense, Pilates, yoga or Chi Gong exercises can also be understood as back school. However, one would have to specifically select appropriate exercises. Back exercises on one’s own initiative can, if necessary, be supplemented with pain therapy, relaxation exercises, occupational therapy, chiropractic therapy and physical therapy measures. The aim of all measures is to strengthen the muscles in the holding apparatus, to optimize already disturbed movement sequences, to compensate for one-sided stress, to release blockages and tension through back gymnastics and to achieve freedom from pain. Regular back gymnastics can play an important role both preventively and in aftercare. Warming up and stretching beforehand is useful. All exercises of back gymnastics must be performed consciously and repeated several times. Overstrain and overzealousness are to be avoided with regard to back gymnastics. In addition, each exercise must be performed in a technically correct manner for optimal benefit. Already damaged parts of the back must be trained particularly gently in back gymnastics.
Risks and dangers
Back pain is a common phenomenon. Accordingly, back gymnastics is often practiced. Many affected people attend appropriate VHS courses on their own initiative, do Pilates, yoga or Chi Gong to strengthen the back muscles. Incorrect furniture, chronic postural defects, one-sided occupational stress and chronic lack of exercise are frequent triggers of back complaints. Which back exercises are suitable in each case should not be defined by oneself because of the risks involved. Ten minutes of back exercises a day can prevent or improve many back problems. Problems arise, however, from incorrectly applied back exercises.Back exercises that lead to overloading the cervical spine or other parts of the spine do more harm than good. For example, if back exercises do not take into account age, the condition of the spine, tendons and cartilage, the presence of osteoporosis or other medical problems, they can have undesirable effects. If one uses the exercises of back gymnastics specifically and pays attention to pain signals, the tense muscles can be better supplied with blood and are subsequently more relaxed.
