Prevent Back Before Pain It Starts!

I remember seeing my father’s back all out of alignment. As a young girl, it was spooky to see his spine literally crooked. He bowled, skied, played golf–all sports that potentially could have given him some trouble with his back. We weren’t sure what actually caused the problem, and there didn’t seem to be a likely cause. He was thin, exercised regularly, and was in good health. Still, there were some other things he could have done to make sure he would have a healthy back, too.

These exercises are a good preventative but are also helpful for current back pain.

How to Prevent Back Pain

• Stretch Your Hamstrings. Having flexible hamstring muscles, believe it or not, is critical to having a strong back. Sit on the floor with your legs outstretched. Flex and point your toes. Try to reach your toes and press your chest as close to your knees as possible. Hold. Don’t bounce. Repeat. It’s easy for these muscles to get tight again, so do these stretches several times a day if you feel any tightness in your back. A variation of the stretch is to stand up and try to touch your toes or place your palms flat on the floor.
• Stretch Your Back. Lay on your back and slowly bring your bent knee up to your chest. Pull your knee gently. Repeat with the other leg. Continued stretching like this will strengthen your back. A variation to this stretch is slowly roll to each side, while clutching your knee close to your chest. If the pull in your back is too strong, don’t go as far. Your idea is to stretch, not hurt yourself more.
• Strengthen Those Abs. Keeping the core of your body strong is important. A strong abdomen shares the load so your back doesn’t have to do all the work. Strong stomach muscles help you maintain your posture and lift heavy objects. Do some stomach crunches every day for good overall health.
• Exercise. Maintaining good physical condition will help prevent back injuries.
• Drink Lots of Water. After vigorous activity, it’s important to replace fluids that are lost. Whenever I don’t drink enough water during exercise, I really feel it in my back.
• Don’t Stress. Lots of people carry their burdens in their bodies, especially their neck, shoulders, and back. Find a spiritual center. Take a vacation. Develop a hobby. Doing something you enjoy will help you not sweat the small stuff.
• Get Enough Sleep. Sleep is restorative and healing. Don’t deny your body this necessity.
• Read Things You Can Do Now. Scroll down through the entire blog. It’s full of very helpful information.

All of these tips are to prevent back pain; but remember they are useful too if you suffer back pain now.

Good luck and let us know how you’re faring!

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