The Big 3 Healthy Back Exercises
Back pain can be unrelenting! It can be a quick sharp stab or a dull ache that just does not go away. It can mean lost wages, lost time and lost joy of life. Everybody’s pain and experience is different… Whether you have had surgery or not, it is important to find strategies that provide you with the least amount of pain or eliminates that pain altogether.
Two of these strategies are posture and spine movement control. Body awareness is critical in maintaining a better overall quality of life so that we do not fall into the “bad” back cycle.
In my life experience I have had both cervical (neck) and low back pain. Not that I am bragging, but rather sharing the fact that my life has not been a straight shot of perfect fitness. Poor postural habits had me getting neck surgery at 42, which I thought was the end of me. (I had not yet begun to actively age! Ha!)
Today’s video is a very brief offering of some back enhancing exercises. As some of you may be aware I have discovered Dr. Stuart McGill PHD, book “Back Mechanic” which is an amazing find!
I have been following Dr McGill since I started training 13 years ago, but this book really lays out a step by step tutorial for anyone suffering from back pain. It is heavy on the research and science but has some great illustrations.
Todays video focuses on the “Essential Big 3” that have been chosen because research has shown them to be the best to spare the back while building muscle and maintaining stability and control. However, if you do any of these and you are in pain, stop! Remember, movement can be challenging but it should not be painful.
Before starting any of these you really should rule out any “sinister” cause of your back pain, by beginning with a visit to your primary care physician.
Dr McGill defines sinister as having pains that were unresponsive to spine motions, posture and loads.
To Enhance a positive outcome Dr. McGill advises these 5 tips.
- Practice these daily…
- avoid performing immediately after rising. The best time is mid morning to dinnertime.
- Choose the dose of exercise that is specific to you. If your back is very tender you may have to shorten your sessions and may benefit from more short stints throughout the day.
- Bracing with abdominals rather than sucking in or hollowing during the exercise is best to achieve a stable core.
- Pain free range of motion – move from shoulders and hips only, not with the spine!
These movements are in order of appearance from the video below…
- Cat/Camel – which is in fact a way to gently move the spine, it is not intended to be a stretch so we do not go to end range (in other words don’t push it up to far, or down to far). Benefits will cease. 7-8 gentle repetitions.
- Birddog – get on all fours on the ground and extend the opposite arm and leg without moving the spine. You can hold for 10 seconds, or less depending on tolerance. I went into a sweep which is a bit more work, repeating the side and not touching. Watch for overreaching and rotating back!
- Side plank – Start on you side with knees bent 90 degrees. From this position hip-hinge forward, similar to a squat. There are many variations of this which can be made more difficult and also modified for people who aren’t able to get on the ground. These will be addressed at another time.
- The Curl-up – This is not a sit-up! As Dr McGill advises… sit-ups should not be a part of any exercise plan of a back patient. If you still do a sit up stop! Lying on your back with one leg raised, hand under back to maintain neutral spine, you slightly raise the head and neck off the floor for 10 seconds. This exercise involves minimal movement of neck and shoulders. If this movement causes neck pain eliminate it until your neck gets stronger.
Do not cradle your hands behind the neck or over flex!
Although these are simple they really must be done with great attention to detail! If you are having challenges or need help please contact me for questions!
Here’s to everyone having a pain free back and pain free movement in life, no matter what your age!
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