Every one of us has had back pain or knows someone who has suffered from back pain at some point in their lives.
Sometimes it is just a minor ache and other times, it can be debilitating pain.
For most cases, this can be rectified with some posture building exercises in less than 15 minutes per day.
The most common client that I have found over the years is a person who sits at a desk too long.
They are usually in front of a computer for 40 hours or more every week.
Due to this, some key posture muscles undergo adaptive shortening, which is the tightening of muscles from being held in a shortened position for extended periods of time.
With this, the antagonist (or opposing) muscle will become overstretched and weakened.
This person's shoulders will roll forward and their hip flexors will get tight.
This combination can eventually lead to back pain.
Let's break this down one by one.
1) The problem: anterior pelvic tilt from tight hip flexors, which causes the abdominals to become overstretched and the lower back muscles too tighten.
The solution: I have my clients perform supersets to save time and increase intensity.
They will do a hip flexor stretch for 30 seconds on each side.
Then without rest my client will perform a set ten to twenty reps of slow and controlled crunches on a BOSU ball.
Each repetition should take a total of 10 seconds (count one Mississippi, two Mississippi...
) or 5 seconds up and 5 seconds down.
An alternative for those without a BOSU ball would be 20 to 50 slow and controlled bicycle crunches.
Do a total of three sets of these exercises.
2) The problem: tight pecs or chest muscles, which causes the rear deltoids and rhomboids to become weakened.
The shoulders roll forward this person's chest caves in.
The solution: You guessed it...
a superset! This time we will perform a pectoral stretch against a wall for 30 seconds on each side and immediately follow up with a set of fifteen reverse flies with a theraband or cables.
At the point of maximal contraction (or when the theraband is making contact with you chest), contract your rhomboids by squeezing your scapulae together.
Three sets will be your goal again.
Do these exercises daily until you get pain relief.
Once pain has subsided, do these exercises regularly so your back pain does not return.
Sometimes it is just a minor ache and other times, it can be debilitating pain.
For most cases, this can be rectified with some posture building exercises in less than 15 minutes per day.
The most common client that I have found over the years is a person who sits at a desk too long.
They are usually in front of a computer for 40 hours or more every week.
Due to this, some key posture muscles undergo adaptive shortening, which is the tightening of muscles from being held in a shortened position for extended periods of time.
With this, the antagonist (or opposing) muscle will become overstretched and weakened.
This person's shoulders will roll forward and their hip flexors will get tight.
This combination can eventually lead to back pain.
Let's break this down one by one.
1) The problem: anterior pelvic tilt from tight hip flexors, which causes the abdominals to become overstretched and the lower back muscles too tighten.
The solution: I have my clients perform supersets to save time and increase intensity.
They will do a hip flexor stretch for 30 seconds on each side.
Then without rest my client will perform a set ten to twenty reps of slow and controlled crunches on a BOSU ball.
Each repetition should take a total of 10 seconds (count one Mississippi, two Mississippi...
) or 5 seconds up and 5 seconds down.
An alternative for those without a BOSU ball would be 20 to 50 slow and controlled bicycle crunches.
Do a total of three sets of these exercises.
2) The problem: tight pecs or chest muscles, which causes the rear deltoids and rhomboids to become weakened.
The shoulders roll forward this person's chest caves in.
The solution: You guessed it...
a superset! This time we will perform a pectoral stretch against a wall for 30 seconds on each side and immediately follow up with a set of fifteen reverse flies with a theraband or cables.
At the point of maximal contraction (or when the theraband is making contact with you chest), contract your rhomboids by squeezing your scapulae together.
Three sets will be your goal again.
Do these exercises daily until you get pain relief.
Once pain has subsided, do these exercises regularly so your back pain does not return.