Ouch… my back hurts!

I hear this all too often. What starts off as a dull ache, then soon becomes an accepted part of our day-to-day lifestyles… until finally the pain becomes unbearable. This should never be the case!

Our backs are one of the most important components of the human body. So when I hear of clients who are struggling with back pain, I really want to stress the importance of looking after our bodies – hence today’s blog.

What are the main causes of lower back pain?

• Daily lifestyles – picking up kids, moving heavy objects, physical labour (lifting, pushing, pulling, etc.)
• Sedentary lifestyle – lack of movement to strengthen & nourish the spine, soft tissues and ligaments
• Poor posture – slouching in a chair over-stretches the spinal ligaments
• Stress – poor sleep, diet and little exercise causes muscle tightness
• Poor training techniques – performing exercises incorrectly will affect your lower back

By the time we reach middle age (40yr+), our bone strength, muscle elasticity and muscle tone have started to decline. The discs in our spine become drier and less flexible, making them less able to cushion our vertebrae. Which makes it all the more important to take greater care of our backs and nourish their wellbeing.

How should we relieve our lower back pain?

• Prevention – by avoiding placing undue pressure/weight on our backs
• Regular exercise – to strengthen and nourish our spine, soft tissues and ligaments
• Foam rolling – our thoracic spine, glutes, hamstrings (avoid lower back)
• Pilates/yoga – to improve strength, flexibility and suppleness

I’ve included a few simple stretches and strength-building moves designed to support your back and help relieve pain. These exercises should be part of a regular program to help strengthen our backs. We’ve got one body and a whole lot of living to do — let’s look after ourselves.

Nurture, nourish, exercise and strengthen our bodies – it will love you for a very long time.

Debbie Solms
Run Coach | Personal Trainer

Lower Back Exercises and Stretches