Although many of us like to think that we’re invincible, that just isn’t the case. Our bodies are often quite fragile, and all of us deal with various injuries and illnesses over the course of our lives. This might be something as simple as the common cold, or it might be something more painful and debilitating, like chronic back pain. Although many people assume that heavy lifting is the cause of back pain, more often than not, it’s our modern sedentary lifestyle that is a real pain in the back. Thankfully, all is not lost! These are some of the best exercises you can try out if you have a bad back.
Partial crunches
As you can probably gauge from the name, this exercise isn’t about a full crunch that will give you abs of steel. Instead, it’s about a partial crunch that will help you strengthen your stomach muscles and your back. This exercise shouldn’t strain your back in any way, but it’s best to make sure that you are maintaining proper form at all times. Keep your lower back, feet, and tailbone on the floor at all times, and slowly lift your head and shoulders.
Planks
There are very few people in this world that actually enjoy planks, but they’re extremely beneficial if you want to tone up and keep your back in good form. If you do have a bad back, this move shouldn’t aggravate it in any way, but should instead strengthen it. One of the main reasons for this is because you need to really use your stomach muscles to perfect a plank, and this will, in turn, protect your back muscles and help to strengthen them.
Wall Sits
If you sit for hours on end in an office, it may seem pretty contradictory to sit down on an imaginary chair for the sake of your back. After all, it’s basically the same thing but without a chair, right? Well, wall sits are actually one of the best exercises you can do if you have a bad back. That’s because it strengthens various muscles in your body, including your hamstrings, your calves, your glutes, and your quadriceps. All of these muscles support your back in one way or another, so strengthening them will only do you good in the long run.
Bodyweight deadlift
Are you the kind of person that loves to lift weights? You’ll know that this can often take a toll on your back, but there are many weighted exercises that can actually help with your back pain. A bodyweight deadlift teaches you about controlled weight lifting and distribution and is more about your posture than the weight itself. If you can train yourself to use the right muscles when in the gym, you should be able to strengthen your back while also avoiding injury.
Do you have a bad back? Don’t worry, because you’re not alone. Thankfully, there are so many exercises out there that are designed to help those who suffer from back pain.
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