Back Exercises For Lower Back Pain

Back exercises for lower back pain can be classified into two main categories...those for an injured back, and those that are meant to prevent injury. Both are important.Lower back pain can be a real problem, and millions of people suffer from it every year, in fact, according to an article on CNN.com "More than 50 million Americans deal with chronic pain, at a cost of more than $100 billion annually."The main problem is that the lower back (the lumbar region) is particularly susceptible to injury. It is the area that is tasked with supporting all of our body's weight bearing activities.If the muscles are allowed to get weak or inflexible, injury occurs. Starting a program of back exercises for lower back pain should be a priority for all of us.Back Exercises For Lower Back Pain - The Injured BackUnfortunately there will be times when you pull or strain your back, and you will suffer from lower back discomfort. The biggest culprits are when we undertake a strenuous physical activity (like some sort of sporting activity) without properly warming up and stretching first. Another big cause of injury is when we lift a - too heavy - weight with our back muscles and not our legs.It hurts - big time - and all we want to do is get some relief and crawl into bed. But, that is a big mistake. Medical professionals now believe that you need to move to improve. Not moving will allow the muscles to stiffen as well as become weaker making the recovery time much longer as well as increasing the possibility of further injury.In the beginning moving and exercising may be uncomfortable, however it will help you to recover far quicker. But you have to take care to do the correct back exercises for lower back pain.... These back pain exercises have to be gentle, and help to stretch and strengthen the muscles in your back, which will give you lower back pain relief and help to speed recovery.The back exercises for lower back pain that you need to do can be done at home with no special equipment making them ideal.To avoid further injury, you will need to gently stretch your back. Take care to never cause any pain - you should only stretch to a comfortable position. Begin the exercises slowly, and over time and as your back begins to heal, extend the stretches and the amount of time that you perform them. Your target is to stretch to a comfortable position, and hold it for at least 20 seconds.As you continue doing stretches every day, you will find your flexibility rapidly increases...this will go a long way to prevent future injury.Back Exercises For Lower Back Pain - Don't Bounce!Take care to gently stretch and hold the position...too many people bounce or jerk into position which is not beneficial as a stretch and can cause injury.If you are in a chair at a desk or table you can easily perform the chair stretch, and ensure that your back is being exercised. By leaning forward in the chair you are stretching your lower back, but being gentle in the process. Holding this position for at least 20 seconds, and repeating it three times is beneficial.With any sort of exercise, if you feel that your back is getting worse, or there is in fact more pain you will need to stop the exercises immediately. However, by taking reasonable care, this rarely happens and you will begin to feel better very quickly.Back Exercises For Lower Back Pain - Preventative ExercisesThe cat stretch is another very popular and easy exercise to perform on your back, and can help to release all of the tension that has built up.You will need to get down on all fours, and arch your back while contracting your stomach muscles, and letting your head drop. As you let your back drop you will need to raise your head. Repeating this exercise three times can ensure that your back is being stretched.As a side benefit...this one can also work to strengthen your lower back and abdominal muscles which will help prevent future injury. Not to mention that it feels good and gets the blood flowing! It can be an invigorating way to start (or even end) the day.Lunges, sit ups, and torso twists are also very good back exercises for lower back pain, and all of these can be done daily. Don't neglect the abdominal muscles. They play a key role in back support!Even if you are not suffering from lower back pain at the moment, by keeping your back exercised it can prevent injuries in the future. As a precaution...take care to stretch and warm up before any strenuous physical activities - and make it a point to lift with your legs!Staying flexible, strong, and using back exercises for lower back pain whenever there is a problem...and you will soon be back pain free.