Whether you’ve suffered from a weak back your entire adult life, or you’re plagued from time to time with a sore one (after a hard day at the office), there’s nothing quite like back pain. From piercing to dull pain, it’s irritating, painful and stressful. Do you have back issues you want to resolve? Here’s a guide to help you accomplish just that.
The Bummer About Back Pain
The bummer is this: when you don’t actively treat your back pain with exercise, the pain persists. It can cause you to have a poor night’s sleep and be irritated throughout your day. Do you have lower back pain morning, noon and night? Most back pain results from injury or overuse. The good news? The more active you are, the better your back will begin to feel.
How’s Your Posture?
It happens to all of us. It creeps up on us. And for some, it’s our go-to sitting and/or standing pose. Whether you realize it or not, your posture says a lot about you and when it’s not straight, you’re likely to feel a piercing or dull back pain—which will persist when not treated.
The solution?
Practice being mindful of your posture. When sitting at your chair at work, roll your shoulders back, and make sure your back is straight. Adjust the height of your chair so that you can easily see your work in front of you—this will limit the temptation to ‘slouch’ forward.
The Cat Pose
You don’t have to be a cat lover to love what this pose will do for you. Yoga lovers know this pose well, but it’s easy enough for anyone to master. Get down on all fours—yes, like a cat does—and begin to arch your back as far as you can. Hold that pose for about 5 seconds, and then just as a cat does when stretching, curl your back upwards as far as you can. Hold for 5 seconds, and repeat.
An Exercise to Strengthen Your Core
The stronger your core muscles are, the less back pain you’ll suffer from. Do you wake up most mornings with your back feeling ‘tight’? The solution is in the ‘bridge’. Here’s how to do it correctly, so you can begin living a pain-free life:
- Using a yoga or exercise mat, lie down on your back with your hands out to your side, your feet firmly planted on the floor, and your knees bent.
- Exhale, and inhale slowly.
- While inhaling, tuck your pelvis inwards, and using your core muscles, begin to lift your hips off of the floor as though your becoming a ‘bridge’. Hold that pose for a few seconds, and exhale as you slowly go back down to your starting position.
Your back pain isn’t a permanent state of being. In fact, with the right amount of exercises and correct posture, it can be a thing of the past! Spend a few moments every morning working out your core muscles, and devote yourself to a well-balanced, straight posture. Soon, your back pain will be a thing of the past.
