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Back pain affects more than two thirds of the population. There are many contributing factors to back pain including age, activity level, degenerative diseases of the discs and nerves, arthritis and lack of flexibility. Living with back pain can be very difficult and even debilitating at times. Many sit at desks all day hunched over keyboards barely taking time for their lunch, more or less a break or a stretch every few hours. Unfortunately, habitual daily activities such as sitting at a desk can make the back heal more slowly or compound any existing problems. It is very important to counteract some of these back pain yielding habits with consistent exercise and flexibility training.
Keeping the muscles of the back strong is an integral part of managing back pain. Often back pain is caused by weak muscles which force the smaller muscles of your back as well as the spine itself to support more of a load than they are designed for. This can cause inflammation in these muscles. Anytime anything in your body is inflamed, it is taking up more room that it was allotted. This can damage surrounding tissues as well as put pressure on nerves, thus causing back pain. Implementing an exercise program that is directly designed to address back pain can be a great solution. A personal trainer who knows the kinesiology of the body and which muscles to address can design a custom exercise program that will minimize back pain while increasing overall body strength.
As we age, we lose muscle mass. This is called sarcopenia. After the age of 25, adults lose between .5 and 1% of their skeletal muscle each year. This is a natural decline in muscle tissue that is only compounded by inactivity. Inflictions such as back pain can thrive in these conditions. Weak abdominal muscles allow the back to sway into a position called lordois or anterior pelvic tilt. Tight lower back muscles and hamstrings can also contribute to this condition. Working on flexibility as well as muscle strength is very important when it comes to back pain management. A well rounded exercise program should consist of equal parts resistance training and flexibility training.
For those who enjoy gardening, crafting, or any hobby that requires bending at the waist, lower back pain is very common. Sometimes just taking a break to straighten out your back or doing a quick stretch can remedy the pain. When the pain persists and doesn't subside when the activity is ceased, it needs to be addressed on a daily basis. Many think that well rounded exercise programs will take them at least an hour or more each day to complete and often don't think they have the time. The truth is that an experienced and educated personal trainer can design a program that fits into your exact time constraints and addresses your exact issues so you don't need to waste time figuring out what to do and how long to do it.
Many of the body's aches and pains can be traced back to a lack of exercise. Our bodies are machines and without proper maintenance, things will begin to deteriorate. Taking care of your body by providing it with resistance training and flexibility training under the supervision or advice of a certified personal trainer is the best way to keep your body running at its optimum level.
