Exercises For A Healthy Back

In order to keep your back healthy, apart from good posture, it is helpful to do certain exercises, as we explain them in this article. Read on to get to know them and then put them into practice.

Various factors contribute to the fact that we don’t always have a healthy back. From sedentary lifestyle and poor posture to age, type of work and physical overexertion. Exercise is another factor.

There are many causes that can lead to pain in various areas of the lumbar spine. But there are also ways to relieve pain and injuries through various exercises and to prevent them. In this article, we’ll introduce you to exercise routines that can help keep your back healthy.

Benefits of a healthy back

Almost all of us have suffered from cervical or back pain at some point. This is nothing out of the ordinary. Office work in front of the computer, little movement, poor posture and excessive strain are often the causes of back problems.

To understand the benefits of having a healthy back, it is enough to think about what happens when it’s not healthy. In a healthy state, we can enjoy the following benefits:

• We don’t feel any pain when sitting or getting up in the morning.
• Our posture improves.
• We protect our spine and prevent head, neck, shoulder, hip and limb problems.
• We also feel energetic and avoid chronic fatigue. This increases mobility and flexibility.
• We breathe better, which also includes improved blood flow.
• We also save healthcare costs, from therapies to pain relievers and anti-inflammatory drugs.

Exercises for a healthy back

Here are some activities that will help you keep your back healthy. The exercises aim to stretch, move, and strengthen this part of the body. This is especially important when we spend long hours sitting or standing.

These exercises are useful to relieve or prevent pain, but also to correct posture when walking or sitting. They are also used to recover from pain or injury caused by fatigue or overexertion.

There are different types of exercises to have and maintain a healthy back. They are divided into three types:

• Stretching : Performed to relax the spine. They can help relieve pain.
• Flexibility : As the name suggests, they help to get muscles, tendons and joints moving.
• Strength : They serve to strengthen the muscles.

Here we are going to show you an exercise routine you can do by combining the different types of exercises to keep your back healthy. We start with the head and work our way down over the neck and shoulders until we finally reach the lumbar area.

Stretching the shoulders

Stand with your legs slightly apart, your heels hip-width apart, and your fingertips on your shoulders (right hand, right shoulder).

Make circular motions with your elbows. First forward, then backward, and stretch them as far as possible. Make sure you stay upright and don’t move your pelvis.

Stretching the trapezius muscle

Place your right hand over your left ear and tilt and twist it slightly as if you were pulling your head.

It should be a deep but still gentle and slow movement. Hold the position for a few seconds, then switch hands. Repeat the step, this time pulling backwards. You can do this exercise while sitting or standing.

Lateral stretch

This exercise is performed in the same position as the previous one. Raise your right hand and let it point to the ceiling; lean the torso to the left. The other hand rests at waist level.

You will feel the muscles on the side tighten, that is, from the waist to the last ribs. Hold this position for a few seconds and make slight flexing movements to keep stretching. Then switch sides and do the same with the other arm.

Stretching the back extensor

Sit upright, preferably on a stool, and tilt your torso with your hands hanging down until your rib cage touches your thighs. In this position, hold your feet with your hands and stay in this position for a few seconds.

Alternatively, you can do this exercise while standing, which is only recommended for people who are mobile and who can touch their knees with their heads. This also stretches the muscles on the back of the legs.

Cat-cow

This exercise with such a curious name is a yoga movement. To do them, you need to get on all fours, aligning your hands with your shoulders and your knees with your hips.

From this position you let your head fall down, bring your chin to your chest and pull in your stomach. Then lift your head, bend your waist, and bring your chest forward and your shoulders back.

It sounds complicated, but it’s very easy to do. Of course, to avoid injury, especially if your waist is arching, you must not make the movement abruptly. It is also important to coordinate your breathing: inhale when you raise your head and exhale as you lower it.

The cobra

Now let’s move on to another animal. This time it’s a cobra. This exercise is performed face down on a mat with palms facing the floor.

We slowly push ourselves up with our hands, stretching our arms. The pelvis should always be in contact with the mat. It is not necessary to fully straighten your arms. You should hold this position for a few seconds. Make sure your neck is relaxed.

Elbow plank

As in the previous exercise, you do this lying face down on the exercise mat. The forearms are parallel to the body. They carry the weight of the body so that we are supported by our elbows and toes. This position should be held for fifteen seconds or a little longer.

Gluteal bridge

We stay on the mat, but this time lying on our back. The knees are bent, the heels close to the buttocks and the hands on the sides with the palms facing down.

Then raise your pelvis so that there is a straight line from the back of the knees to the shoulder blades. Hold this position for several seconds. This exercise strengthens the back extensor as well as the abdominal and gluteal muscles.

Side plank

The starting position is on the side with the elbow under the shoulder. Support yourself on your forearms and feet, maintaining a sloping position. Don’t touch the floor with your hips. Hold the position for a few seconds. Then switch sides and lean on the other forearm.

Knees to chest

It continues on the mat, to do this, lie on your back. With your hands on your knees, try bringing your knees towards your chest and hold the position for a few seconds. You can do this with both knees at the same time or alternately with one and then the other.

A healthy back is part of a healthy body

This exercise routine won’t take up too much of your time ; at most thirty minutes a couple of times a week. But it has many advantages.

All of these exercises are very useful for a healthy back, namely relieving pain and tension, preventing contractures, and maintaining correct posture. Even a person with a herniated disc can do it if they follow the precautions and proceed slowly and gradually.

Of course, physical activity should always be done in an appropriate manner, that is, adapted to the age, health and condition of the person. Monitoring by a specialist is always ideal. You have to follow a few minimum rules so that you don’t get hurt.

Always remember: if something doesn’t feel right, if it hurts, or if you feel exhausted, you are doing something wrong. So in such a case it is better to stop.