Core Muscle Exercises That Reduce Back Pain

  Do you suffer from back pain? Are you uncomfortable getting out of bed in the morning, during long periods sitting at your desk or while standing for long periods at a time? Frustrating and debilitating, back pain can keep you from work, from your family and from enjoying simple day-to-day pleasures like taking your dog for a walk.

  According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on low back pain and that "back pain is the second most common neurological ailment in the United States — only headaches are more common".

  Frightening statistics but fortunately there is a lot that can be done to alleviate the pain, correct the problem that caused the pain and to prevent it from happening again.

  Pain falls into two categories – acute and chronic.

  Acute is most often caused by trauma – using poor mechanics to lift an object, a car accident or a fall. The pain lasts for a few days to a few weeks and if treated properly, will not linger or reoccur.

  Chronic lasts for months, can be progressive and can be more difficult to diagnose the cause and treatment. With chronic back pain, take extra care before deciding on treatment.

  Whether your pain is from a recent trauma or an ongoing problem, the first step is to visit your doctor or specialist. Never take advice from any source before a doctor has read your x-rays and assessed your condition. Specifically ask if he recommends core-strengthening exercises for your condition and if so, what intensity and frequency he recommends.

  The good news is as long as your condition is not highly degenerative in nature, he will say ‘yes’ to the exercise and you are well on your way to alleviating much of your discomfort.

  The lower back muscles are much like any other muscle in the body – they get strained, sprained and torn by misuse or injury. They get bruised from impact and they can spasm for any number of causes.

  And without training, they can weaken and atrophy leaving them open to injury and overuse.

  The worst thing we do as a society for our backs is watch TV. We slouch, couches are soft and rarely support our backs properly, and what is watching TV without a snack? This all compounds to cause atrophy or shrinking of our lower back muscles and increases the chance of injury. Once injured, we watch TV to fight the boredom, which in turn causes more atrophy perpetuating the problem.

  Your core muscles include the abdominal group and the lower back muscles. They support your spine, aid in breathing and are neglected and abused by all of us. Strengthening our core muscle group aids in maintaining good posture and limits the chance of injuring or damaging our delicate spine.

  Although marginal, there is a difference between abdominal exercises and core muscle strengthening exercises. Ab exercises isolate the individual muscle groups and work on strengthening and toning those muscles. They are a very important part of any exercise routine and give shape and definition to the waistline.

  Core muscle exercises work both groups of muscles – the abs and the lower back. These groups are synergistic – they work in unison and compliment each other. By working them together, you are teaching them to work better and more efficiently. This in turn helps to lower injury and aids in good posture and spinal alignment.

  Core muscle exercises will not give you a perfect six-pack but will aid in keeping you healthy so you can do the exercises that will flatten your stomach and shape your abs later!

  Workouts such as Yoga and Pilates are immensely popular in our society and have nearly a cult following. Pilates in particular focuses most of the workout on improving the core muscles by maintaining correct posture while continuing to exercise other body parts.

  Both Yoga and Pilates are highly recommended workouts for lower back health and participating in a class even once a week will help maintain core muscle strength and flexibility.


Other ways to help keep your lower back healthy and pain-free:

1. Sit upright without slouching when working at a desk or table
2. When standing, balance weight between both feet and maintain the natural curve to your back
3. Wear low-heeled, comfortable shoes
4. When carrying a shoulder bag, try to keep the weight low. Carry a backpack correctly where weight is dispersed over both shoulders
5. Maintaining correct body weight helps alleviate much of the strain on your lower back
6. Sleep on a firm surface on your side
7. Quit smoking! Smoking reduces blood flow and causes degeneration of the lower back

  The most important part of maintaining a healthy lower back is to stay active! Walking, cycling, swimming, weight training, aerobics and even gardening all keep you busy and fit. Weight bearing exercises such as these help maintain bone density and keeps osteoporosis at bay.

  Our lower backs are forgiving of the abuse we dish out on a daily basis – take action today to take the strain off your back before it all becomes a big pain!


About the author:

Jake Berlin is the creator of "The Killer Ab Workout System" and knows exactly what it takes to get your abs in shape... even if you've been out of shape for months.

For more information on Jake and how he can help you increase your core strength and dramatically improve your athletic performance, visit:

http://www.killer-ab-workout.com