Everyone knows that regular daily fitness is required for optimum health, but if you are someone who already suffers from back pain, it is important to keep back health in mind as you start your new fitness program. As you go about your daily activities it is fairly easy to remember to walk straight, bend properly and lift correctly. There are excellent products such as back supports and ergonomic seating to help keep your back healthy at work. But often when it comes to exercise, the inclination is to jump right in and go all out, forgetting what havoc that may create for strained back muscles. As a result, the whole fitness program is abandoned due to incidents of increased back pain. Here are a few back health pointers to remember anytime you begin a new fitness program.
-Slow and steady wins the race and consistency produces the best results. Begin any new fitness program slowly and work up to higher numbers of repetitions or more difficult exercises. Pay attention to the way your body responds to the routine and move ahead when you are comfortable. Try to make your fitness program a part of your regular routine. Subjecting the body and especially your back to intermittent exercise can do more harm than good.
-Try to carry the good posture habits that you practice when standing, sitting and walking into the gym with you. When lifting weights, running, rowing or any routine, keep your shoulders back and your head upright. The head is a pretty heavy weight that we carry around and letting it hang forward too much can really strain upper back muscles and cause pain.
-With any exercise or activity that you do, try to create a picture in your mind of your spine aligned with your head and shoulders. Picture your ears, shoulders, hips, knees and ankles all in a straight line. By visualizing how your spine should look, you will be more conscious of wrong posturing.
-Fitness is not just all about aerobics. It is especially important, when considering back heath, to build your core muscle strength as well, as these are the muscles that support the spine. An exercise ball is an excellent piece of equipment to hep build core strength. Be sure to include exercises for all the large muscle groups.
-When not exercising, an important tip to save your back is to avoid slouching. So often this type of posture becomes such a habit that we don’t even know we’re doing it. When sitting, your pelvis should always be lined up below your shoulders. A good back support or posture correcting chair seat can be a great help.
-Regular exercise and a daily fitness routine are always a good idea, but be sure to take it slow and pay attention to your body. If you are a back pain sufferer already, getting advice from your health care professional before you begin a fitness routine is always a wise decision.
