If you spend your days sitting in the office, you are likely to acquire severe back pains. These conditions are frustrating because they can affect your productivity. If you want to live a healthy life, it is essential to stretch the ligaments, tendons, and muscles that support the spine. Spine specialists and physical therapists advise people to engage in physical exercises to alleviate back and neck pain.
Stretching regularly reduces tension in the muscles that support the spine. Additionally, stretches improve the overall mobility of the body, which reduces the risk of disability. This guide provides essential exercises that play a significant role in reducing back pain.
Knee to Chest
This stretch is vital because it aligns the pelvis and strengthens the back muscles. Additionally, it helps in stretching the lower back. To perform this exercise, you need to:
- Lie on your back and ensure that your toes are pointing the sky.
- Then, you should pull your right leg up to your chest while bending the knee.
- Pull your knee towards your chest using your arms.
- You should hold for 20 seconds and then do the same exercise at least three times using each leg.Wall Sits
If you spend the whole day sitting on your couch, you are likely to experience lower back pain. If the lower part of your back starts aching, you should perform wall sits. However, to avoid getting injuries when doing wall sits, you need to be cautious. These are the steps you need to follow:
- Look for a smooth wall and then stand with your back facing the wall. The distance between your back and the wall should be 9 to 12 inches.
- Lean on the wall keenly. You should ensure that your back is flat against the wall.
- Bend your knees and slide your back slowly while pressing the lower part of your back onto the wall.
- Then, you should hold for at least 10 seconds.
- Lastly, slide up slowly and repeat the same exercise for 10 to 15 times.Press up Back Extensions
Press up back extension is another essential exercise that treats the symptoms of back pain. Below are the steps that you need to follow:
- Look for a flat and smooth surface and lie on your stomach.
- Ensure your hands are comfortable and directly underneath the shoulders.
- Then, use your arms to push the floor down so that your shoulders can start to move upwards.
- The elbows should be directly under the shoulders to enhance comfort.
- Hold for at least 15 seconds and keep repeating the exercise.Cobra Stretch
It is an essential stretch that treats pain in the lower back and abdominal muscles. You should observe the following steps to perform the exercise:
- Extend your legs while lying on your stomach
- Plant your hands firmly on the sides of your head.
- Ensure that your elbows and forearms are flat on the surface.
- Then, push the body upwards.
- Your forearms should be firm because the weight of the body will rest on them.
- The hips should remain on the ground.
- After reaching a comfortable position, you should hold for 12 seconds and then return to the initial position.
- You should repeat this exercise several times to boost flexibility in your abdominal muscles and lower back.
In conclusion, you should perform aerobic workouts to treat back pain. For instance, some of the best workouts include walking, jogging, running, swimming, climbing, biking, and lifting weights. These activities strengthen the cardiovascular system and boost your heart rate. Aerobics and the above exercises will relieve back pain. However, if the pain persists, you need to see a physical therapist and an experienced doctor for guidance and treatment.