Lets talk about exercise and back pain…
Last week I had a question asked from one of our patients, Jackie, 58, from Hanley…
And it’s one that we get asked often:
“Is it safe to exercise with a bad back? I’ve just got into a good routine sticking to the gym and working out three times a week, and I really don’t want to stop…”
I get the frustration, and I also know that the thought of doing any movement at all when you’re going through some kind of pain might feel a little scary…
You don’t want to run the risk of aggravating it any more in case it turns into something more serious.
You don’t want to go ‘too hard’ in the gym in case you pull another muscle.
And you don’t want to wake up one day to find that you can no longer roll out of bed easily, walk down the road, or even drive because what you did, made it worse.
But don’t let that worry you too much – that’s rarely ever the case!
An aching lower back doesn’t mean you’ve got to be housebound, with heat and ice packs until it magically disappears.
You CAN keep moving!
In fact, not moving at all can make your back pain worse!
Here’s why…
If you suffer from lower back pain that comes and goes, gentle walking with exercises designed to improve lower back strength and movement added in, will make a big difference.
Walking is a completely natural movement that keeps your joints mobile and muscles working – even those in your feet, legs, hips and torso – which play an important role in keeping the muscles in your back that hold you up right, strong.
Stretching combined with walking will improve your backs strength, flexibility and posture, which in turn, can help stop back pain from creeping up on you when you least expect it.
What’s more, it can also reduce how painful it feels and how much it gets in the way of day to day life.
So here’s the important question to answer now that you know it 100% is ok to exercise with a bad back…
What exercise can you actually be doing?
Because of course, too much exercise, or exercise that’s strenuous could make it worse or keep it hanging around longer.
Safe Ways To Exercise With A Bad Back
Introducing Yoga.
Even though there’s false beliefs around Yoga, like ‘you’ve got to be flexible’ etc., etc., etc… you can ditch those false beliefs behind because it’s for anyone!
Let me tell you why – Yoga helps build strength.
Yoga requires you to concentrate on specific muscles in the body when holding poses – many of which improve back strength. When these muscles are stronger your back pain can be greatly reduced and is less likely to affect you as bad as it once did.
As well as strengthening, Yoga relaxes the body and reduces any tension in stress-carrying muscles (a.k.a your back!)
For people with lower back pain, stretching is important. Stretching the muscles in your legs actually help to increase range of movement in your hips, taking the stress off your lower back – which in addition increases blood flow, allowing nutrients to flow in, taking care of the muscles in your back.
It’s also once of the best forms of exercise to maintain and improve a healthy posture. Great for your back, stopping back pain in it’s tracks, and add to that it feels great when you can walk around confident and tall.
So there you have it, gentle walks and yoga help a back bad.
Both of these will help you gain back your strength in your back, so you can return to doing the exercise you love the most.
How To End Back Pain So You Can Enjoy Exercise
If you’ve been struggling with back pain for more than a week, it keeps coming back or it’s become more painful, there may be a more serious cause of the problem.
One that walking and yoga can’t fix.
If this sounds like you, we would love to invite you for a back pain assessment which will enable you to get a full diagnosis and finally understand the real reason your back pain won’t go away!
As well as finally putting an end to your anxiety, you can also get a tailored recovery plan which will outline exactly how to achieve long term, natural back pain relief.
Right now, we are currently offering a back pain assessment for 50% off – but only for the first 5 people to contact us.
You can contact us by telephone on 01260 413135 to claim your half price assessment or by completing our enquiry form in under 30 seconds.
Not sure whether physiotherapy is right for you?
We appreciate that you may want to find out more and ask some questions about private physiotherapy which is why we offer a FREE Discovery Session or a FREE Telephone Consultation.
In a FREE Discovery Session you can find out more about physiotherapy, and the best treatment options available for your back pain.
You can also do this from the comfort of your own home by arranging a FREE Telephone Consultation.
Other Free Resources To Help You End Back Pain Without Painkillers
Download our free back pain report which contains 7 Simple Ways To Reduce Back Pain And Stay Active
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