Introduction
Since many people do not have time for regular sports and often sit for hours in the office, back pain is becoming more and more frequent, which in the long run can become quite painful and annoying. In order to get these under control it is enough to plan ten minutes for back exercises every day. After a relatively short period of time, you will notice significant progress and the back pain can be brought under control.
In addition to the exercises presented in the following, it is recommended to walk or ride your bike as much as possible. This strengthens the back and prevents back pain. Movement in general protects against muscle loss in the back. Among other things, this reduction causes back pain in combination with an incorrect posture.
Exercises for back pain
The following exercises train the entire spine muscles, strengthen the back and prevent back pain. This exercise takes place lying on your back on the floor and is also called “Sit-Up”. You can use a mattress or two pillows as a base.
The legs are placed with the lower legs on a small table and the arms are at the side of the upper body. From this basic position the head, arms and shoulders are lifted from the floor at the same time. The palms of the hands point towards the table and the backs of the hands towards the upper body.
By lifting the shoulders, the arms are moved slightly forward in their position towards the legs. The chin moves towards the chest and the legs ideally remain on the table. This exercise should be repeated about 15 times.
Here you can find more information about back trainingAnother exercise to prevent back pain and relieve it also starts in the supine position on a mattress. Again, the arms are placed to the side of the body and the left leg is slightly raised, the right leg lies flat on the floor. Then you start the exercise by lifting your head and pulling your left knee slightly towards you with your right hand.
The arm is not completely stretched out, but slightly bent at the elbow joint. The tightened knee is held slightly above the ground in the air. The chin should be pulled towards the chest as in the previous exercise, so that the neck muscles are also tensed.
This exercise should also be repeated up to 15 times and then the side or leg should be changed. The next exercise is no longer done lying on the back but on the side. The upper body is supported on one elbow.
The other arm rests on the upper body and embraces the abdomen. The supporting arm should be positioned so that the elbow is below the shoulder joint. The legs are stretched out and the upper leg crosses the lower leg.
From this position, the hips are now raised so that the entire body forms a line and has ground contact only through the elbows and lower legs. It is important to keep the tension in the whole body. The head is in extension of the spine to avoid unwanted stress in the neck area.
Lifting the hips can be held for a few seconds before the pelvis is lowered to the floor. This exercise should be repeated up to 10 times before changing sides. Another exercise that also effectively relaxes the back is the step position.
The head and upper body rest on the floor on a mat. The hips are bent at a 90 degree angle and the lower legs rest on a stool or a chair, so that a 90 degree angle is also created in the knee joint. Now inhale and exhale deeply and in a controlled manner.
Breathing should be consciously directed to the abdomen and pelvis. The spine has full contact with the ground the whole time. To train the deeper lying back muscles, lie on a mat on your stomach and stretch out your hands to the front.
Now lift your legs and alternate up and down movements with your arms and legs. You can do this until the muscles start to burn due to the strain, or you can do the exercise for about 30 seconds and then take a break and then train again for 30 seconds. This exercise can help directly with pain, but also effectively prevents back pain.
Another exercise to strengthen the deep lying muscles is also called “hacking”.This name comes from the fact that this exercise involves an up and down movement of the forearms. You stand hip-wide and bend your forearms at an angle of about 90 degrees. Now both forearms alternately perform hacking movements.
By training the deeper lying muscle layers, the posture is improved and back pain due to incorrect posture can be avoided. However, a healthy back not only includes healthy and strong muscles, but also mobile vertebral bodies. The cat’s hump is a back exercise that helps to keep the back mobile and thus prevent pain.
Starting position is the four-footed stand on a mat. The head is in extension of the spine and the gaze is directed downwards. Now you start to make the back as round as possible.
This position is kept under tension for a few seconds and then loosened again. Now lower the hump back to the starting position. If you want to intensify the exercise a bit more, you can now extend the movement towards the floor and form a hollow back.
Thereby the view goes upwards and the navel is pressed towards the floor. Again, the position should be held briefly before returning to the starting position. This exercise can be repeated as often as you like and helps the back to stay mobile and healthy.
The “Package” is an exercise that is ideal for fighting back pain directly. For one thing, the exercise is easy and does not take up much space. On the other hand you can do it almost anywhere.
The starting position is lying on the back. Now the legs are pulled towards the upper body, so that only the back and head rest on the floor. This exercise leads to tension in the back and stretches the spine easily and gently.
To specifically combat back pain in the lumbar region, this exercise can be extended. When the legs are drawn towards the chest, you can start in the pelvic area with small circular movements. This mobilizes and slightly strengthens the lumbar region.
Pain in the lumbar region is very frequent and often very unpleasant. Therefore, relaxation exercises can promise direct relief. The lateral position is recommended here, for example.
In the lateral position, the legs are pulled up at a 90 degree angle and a cushion is placed under the knees. The lower arm lies under the head and the upper arm rests on the legs. If this position is held for a few minutes, the spine is relieved and the pain in the lumbar area can be relieved.
Often the muscles in the lumbar area are so hardened and blocked that it is almost impossible to move. The following exercise can loosen this blockage and thus bring about direct improvement. The starting position is lying on a mat backwards on the floor with arms stretched out to the side.
Ideally, the palms of the hands should point upwards and the gaze should also be directed vertically upwards towards the ceiling. The feet are comfortably placed on the floor and the legs are bent. Then the knees are first inclined to the right side towards the floor.
The arms and shoulder area remain on the floor. The rotation takes place mainly in the pelvic area. The legs are kept parallel at all times and the head also remains in extension of the spine.
This movement to the right side is now performed 15 times to release the blockage. Then the same procedure is performed for the left side. An exercise to strengthen the back muscles, but also to relieve pain is the Diagonal Back Trainer.
Starting position is on all fours. The elbows should be under the shoulder and the knees under the pelvis. The forearms rest on the floor and the fingertips point forward.
The abdominal muscles should be tensed throughout the exercise to avoid a hollow back position. Now stretch your left leg backwards so that it is parallel to the floor. Then the right arm is lifted and also stretched out so that now only the left forearm and the right knee are on the floor.
The head is held in the natural extension of the spine. This position is held for two to three seconds before the left leg and right arm return to the starting position. Now repeat this exercise about 6-8 times and then change arms and legs.
The following exercise is useful for strengthening the lower back and also for fighting back pain in this area.The starting position is lying on your back on a gymnastics mat. The feet are now set up and the arms rest relaxed on the floor next to the upper body. Now the pelvis is lifted off the floor and the hands can grasp the heels. The head continues to lie still on the floor and the position can be held for a few seconds before returning to the starting position.